of my height. I
should have stayed in the other carriage."

After all he was Elsie's father, and Curtis relented: "Senator, if
you'll take a seat in my office, I'll go fetch your daughter."

"I prefer to go to her myself," Brisbane replied, menacingly formal.
"Where is she?"

"I will show you if you will permit," Curtis coldly replied, and set out
to cross the road.

The old man hobbled painfully at first, but soon recovered enough of his
habitual power to follow Curtis, who did not wait, for he wished to
have a private word with Elsie before her father came. She was lying
down as he knocked, resting, waiting for the dinner call.

"Your father is here," he said, as she opened the door.

Her face expressed surprise, not pleasure.

"Here! Here at the agency?"

"Yes, and on his way to the studio. Moreover, he is very dirty, very
disgusted, very crusty, and not at all well."

"Poor old father! Now he'll make it uncomfortable for us all. He has
come for me, of course. Who is with him?"

"The sheriff, the county attorney, and some reporters."

She smiled. "Then he is 'after you,' too."

"It looks that way. But you must not go away without giving me another
chance to talk with you. Will you promise that?" he demanded, abruptly,
passionately. "I have something to say to you."

"I dare not promise," she responded, and her words chilled him even more
than her action as she turned away to the door. "How slowly he walks!
Poor old papa! You shouldn't have done this, popsey," she cried, as she
met him with a kiss on his cheek.

Curtis walked away, leaving them alone, a hand of ice at his heart.

Brisbane took her kiss without changing to lighter mood.

"Why didn't you follow out my orders?" he demanded, harshly. "You see
what I've had to go through just because you are so foolishly
obstinate. That ride is enough to kill a man."

Her throat swelled with anger, but she choked it down and replied very
gently. "Come into the studio and let me clean off the dust. I'm sorry."

He followed her in and sank heavily upon a chair. "I wouldn't take that
journey again for ten thousand dollars. Why didn't you come to the
railway as I ordered?"

"Because I saw no good reason for it. I knew what I was doing. Captain
Curtis assured me--"

"Captain Curtis!" he sneered. "You'd take his word against mine, would
you?"

"Yes, I would, for he is on the ground and knows all the conditions. He
has the outbreak well in hand. You hav