dancing,
anyway," he laughed briefly and unmirthfully.

"It surprised me a lot, her going," admitted Mrs. Gallito; "she hates
the mountains."

"Then she won't stay long," put in Hanson quickly.

Mrs. Gallito was uncertain about this. "But," she confided presently,
"she took on awful to her father and Bob Flick. I didn't dare come out,
but I heard her through the door there. 'Where can I go,' she cried,
'where he won't come?' And she kept on saying she'd got to go somewhere
where you would never find her, because she didn't dare trust herself,
and she cried right out: 'I love him, I love him.'"

With these words, the confirmation of his hope, Hanson's blithe
self-confidence returned. He threw back his head and straightened his
shoulders, the light of an exultant purpose flashing in the steel of his
eye. "Pleasant for Bob!" he remarked in vindictive satisfaction; but as
he had still an end to gain, he did not permit his mind to gloat long
upon the agreeable picture Mrs. Gallito's words had suggested.

"Now, just let me talk a minute, Mrs. Gallito," leaning forward and
speaking in his most persuasive manner. "This whole thing is a
misunderstanding, that's all. Pearl didn't understand what I was trying
to say to her, and she lost her temper and wouldn't let me finish. Now
taking all the blame to myself for everything, admitting that I haven't
acted right in any particular, still I haven't had a square deal. You've
got the sand and the fairness to admit that, Mrs. Gallito, and I may say
in passing that you're the only one that has, and you've got to admit
that I haven't had a square deal; not from the Pearl, God bless her, and
certainly not from her Pop and that Flick," his eyes flashed viciously.

Mrs. Gallito filled up his waiting pause with a murmur of confused but
sympathetic assent.

"I'm telling you now what I'd told them if they'd given me a chance, and
it's this," emphasizing his words by striking the palm of one hand with
the forefinger of the other, "I'm going back to Los Angeles and I'm
going to move heaven and earth to get free; but in the meantime, Mrs.
Gallito, I got to hear from her, I've got to keep in touch with her, and
I believe you've got too much heart and too much common sense not to
help me."

She drew back with feeble, inarticulate murmurs of fright and protest.
"I wouldn't dare," she began.

"Wait a moment," said Hanson soothingly. "I'm not suggesting anything
that could get you into trou