a crushing defeat and only preserves an outward resolution, while
all the spirit within is crushed.

Ronicky Doone turned gloomily away from the window and listened to the
progress of Gregg up the stairs. What a contrast between the ascent
and the descent! He had literally flown down. Now his heels clumped
out a slow and regular death march, as he came back to the room.

When Gregg opened the door Ronicky Doone blinked and drew in a deep
breath at the sight of the poor fellow's face. Gregg had known before
that he truly loved this girl whom he had never seen, but he had never
dreamed what the strength of that love was. Now, in the very moment of
seeing his dream of the girl turned into flesh and blood, he had lost
her, and there was something like death in the face of the big miner
as he dropped his hat on the floor and sank into a chair.

After that he did not move so much as a finger from the position into
which he had fallen limply. His legs were twisted awkwardly, sprawling
across the floor in front of him; one long arm dragged down toward the
floor, as if there was no strength in it to support the weight of the
labor-hardened hands; his chin was fallen against his breast.

When Ronicky Doone crossed to him and laid a kind hand on his shoulder
he did not look up. "It's ended," said Bill Gregg faintly. "Now we
hit the back trail and forget all about this." He added with a faint
attempt at cynicism: "I've just wasted a pile of good money-making
time from the mine, that's all."

"H'm!" said Ronicky Doone. "Bill, look me in the eye and tell me, man
to man, that you're a liar!" He added: "Can you ever be happy without
her, man?"

The cruelty of that speech made Gregg flush and look up sharply. This
was exactly what Ronicky Doone wanted.

"I guess they ain't any use talking about that part of it," said Gregg
huskily.

"Ain't there? That's where you and me don't agree! Why, Bill, look at
the way things have gone! You start out with a photograph of a girl.
Now you've followed her, found her name, tracked her clear across the
continent and know her street address, and you've given her a chance
to see your own face. Ain't that something done? After you've done all
that are you going to give up now? Not you, Bill! You're going to buck
up and go ahead full steam. Eh?"

Bill Gregg smiled sourly. "D'you know what she said when I come
rushing up and saying: 'I'm Bill Gregg!' D'you know what she said?"

"Well?"

"'Bil