e that back, Joe," said he. "You're not that kind of a kid. You
mean well, but you don't understand. Look-a here, let me tell you, Joe:
I love that little woman, kid, just as honest and true as any man could
love her, and she thinks the world and all of me. I only want to take
her away from here because I love her and want to make her happy. Don't
you see it, kid?"

"How would you do that? You couldn't marry her."

"Not for a while, of course," admitted Morgan. "But the old possum he'd
get a divorce in a little while."

"Well, I'm not going to let her go," Joe declared, turning away as if
that settled the matter for good and all. "You've done--I could kill you
for what you've done!" said he, with sudden vehemence.

Morgan looked at him curiously, his careless face softening.

"Now, see here, don't you look at it that way, Joe," he argued. "I'm not
so bad; neither is Ollie. You'll understand these matters better when
you're older and know more about the way men feel. She wanted love, and
I gave her love. She's been worked to rags and bones by that old devil;
and what I've done, and what I want to do, is in kindness, Joe. I'll
take her away from here and provide for her like she was a queen, I'll
give her the love and comradeship of a young man and make her happy,
Joe. Don't you see?"

"But you can't make her respectable," said Joe. "I'm not going to let
her leave with you, or go to you. If she wants to go after Isom comes
back, then let her. But not before. Now, you'd better go on away,
Morgan, before I lose my temper. I was mad when I started after you, but
I've cooled down. Don't roil me up again. Go on your way, and leave that
woman alone."

"Joe, you're a man in everything but sense," said Morgan, not unkindly,
"and I reckon if you and I was to clinch we'd raise a purty big dust and
muss things around a right smart. And I don't know who'd come out on top
at the finish, neither. So I don't want to have any trouble with you.
All I ask of you is step to one side and leave us two alone in what
we've started to do and got all planned to carry out. Go to bed tonight
and go to sleep. You're not supposed to know that anything's due to
happen, and if you sleep sound you'll find a twenty-dollar bill under
your hat in the morning."

The suggestion brought a blush to Joe's face. He set his lips as if
fighting down hot words before he spoke.

"If I have to tie her I'll do it," said Joe earnestly. "She shan't
leave. And