and to say that I was too
much of a philosopher to be a scientist, but he did not; he sobered and
gravely remarked:

"Yes, I am devilish sorry that this thing came about, and I hope that
Guinea will not take a romantic view of it. I guess they'll be back
after a while, if Alf is cleared, and from what I hear I suppose he
will be."

"May I ask how your sister is?"

"Certainly. She's all right; doesn't eat much, but her pulse is
normal--little excited, but hardly noticeable. Loves that fellow,
doesn't she? Strong, good-looking boy, but not very practical. Hope
he'll come out all right. Ah, I was going to say something, but it has
escaped me. Oh, yes, you are in love with Guinea. Be frank, now."

"Yes, I worship her."

"Hardly the word, but it will do, on an impulse. I think a good deal of
her myself. I said just now that she wouldn't wipe her feet on you, and
I beg your pardon. She may wipe them on you. You are going to stay here,
eh? Well, come over to the house. No reason why there should be any
ill-will between us. Good-day."

I sat down on the step and watched him until he had ridden out of sight,
and I was pleased that he went toward his home, not that I was afraid of
a renewal of the engagement; I knew that it was forever set aside. But I
felt that his overtaking the wagon would bring an additional trouble to
the father and the mother; indeed, I was afraid that the old man might
kill him. Strange fellow Chyd was, and I liked him as an oddity, as
something wholly different from myself or from any impulsive being. He
was not cruel--he simply had no heart.

CHAPTER XVIII.

I walked about the old place until nearly noon, and then I went to town.
The jailer met me with a doubtful shaking of his scheming head, and I
knew that again he had received orders to be rigid in his discipline,
but I was resolved that the old rascal's appetite for liquor should not
play a second prank upon me; so when he hinted at another bottle I told
him that I had spent so much of my life as a temperance lecturer that it
was against my conscience to buy a favor with whisky. I looked steadily
at him, and he began to wince.

"Why, to be sure," said he, "but, my dear sir, I didn't buy whisky with
that dollar--bought a ham with it. If I didn't I'm the biggest liar in
the world; and I don't reckon there's a family in this town that needs
another ham right now worse than mine does."

"That may be, but I can't afford to pay so hea