dd light in his. "Oh!" she said, "it isn't true about Mrs.
Norton wanting to talk. You have guessed that I--that Ed--wanted me to
go----" But confusion descended upon her and she flushed crimson with
embarrassment.

"If you think it isn't true, why don't you ride over to the Circle Bar
and inquire?" he smiled.

"Perhaps I may," she replied, looking at him in mock defiance.

As a precaution against the carrying out of this threat, Hollis that
night acquainted Mrs. Norton with the facts in the case, even going so
far as to inform the lady brazenly that he had deliberately lied about
her. But when she had been fully informed, she told Hollis that she did
not blame him very much, and that should Nellie carry out her threat to
come to her upon an errand having as its object a question of his
veracity, she would assure the young lady that he had spoken the plain
truth. Would that be sufficient?

Hollis told her that it would, and the following morning on his way to
Dry Bottom, he took the Coyote trail and stopped off at the Hazelton
cabin, where he informed Ed that he had decided to send Weary with him
on his trip to Chicago.

Nellie spoke a few words to him while he lingered beside the porch, but
her threat of the night before was not repeated and Hollis rightly
guessed that it would never be carried out.

CHAPTER XXI

DUNLAVEY PLAYS A CARD

During the week following Ed Hazelton's departure for Chicago Hollis did
not see much of Nellie. In the few days preceding his departure she had
not allowed her brother to see how his refusal to allow her to accompany
him had hurt her, but once he had boarded the east-bound express at Dry
Bottom, she had yielded to the emotions that she had so far succeeded in
concealing. Hollis had ridden in to town with them, and not until Nellie
and he had seen Ed and Weary safely on the train--indeed, not until the
train was well under way and the two figures on the back platform could
no longer be discerned--did Nellie break down. Then Hollis turned to her
with a smile to see the sudden tears well up into her eyes. He had not
attempted to console her, feeling the awkwardness of the situation.

He was much relieved when she refused his offer to make the return trip
with her, for he was certain that a few hours alone in which to meditate
over her loss would enable her to regain her composure. But before
leaving her he secured her promise not to stop at the cabin, but to go
on to the