e
Hereford cattle, standing knee-deep in a flashing lake. The prairie, she
thought, was beautiful in summer; its wideness was bracing, one was
stirred into cheerfulness and bodily vigor by the rush of its fresh
winds. She felt that she could remain contentedly at the homestead for a
long time; and then her thoughts centered on its owner.

This was perhaps why she rose and strolled on toward the sloo, though she
would not acknowledge that she actually wished to meet him. The man was
something of an enigma and therefore roused in her an interest which was
stronger because of some of the things she had heard to his discredit.
Following the rows of wheelmarks, she brushed through the wild barley,
whose spiky heads whipped her dress, passed a chain of glistening ponds,
a bluff wrapped in blue shadow, and finally descended a long slope to the
basin at its foot where the melting snow had run in spring. Now it had
dried and was covered with tall grass which held many flowers and
fragrant wild peppermint.

A team of horses and a tinkling mower moved through its midst, and at one
edge Prescott was loading the grass into a wagon. Engrossed as he was in
his task, he did not notice her, and she stood a while watching him. He
wore no jacket; the thin yellow shirt, flung open at the neck and tightly
belted at the waist, and the brown duck trousers, showed the lithe grace
of his athletic figure. His poise and swing were admirable, and he was
working with determined energy, his face and uncovered arms the warm
color of the soil.

Muriel drew a little closer and he stopped on seeing her. His brown skin
was singularly clean, his eyes were clear and steady, though they often
gave a humorous twinkle. If this man had ever been a rake, his
reformation must have been drastic and complete, because although she had
a very limited acquaintance with people of that sort, it was reasonable
to conclude that they must bear some sign of indulgence or sensuality.
The rancher had no stamp of either.

He showed his pleasure at her appearance.

"You have had quite a walk," he said. "If you will wait while I put up
the load, I'll take you back."

Muriel sat down and watched him fling the grass in heavy forkfuls on to
the growing pile, until at last he clambered up upon the frame supporting
it and, pulling some out and ramming the rest back, proceeded to excavate
a hollow.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Making a nest for you," he told her with