y. She had long
ago regretted her folly in running away from his homestead when he lay
helpless, but things had changed considerably since then.

When she entered the second room, she said nothing to Hawtrey about what
she had heard. The room was cozily warm and brightly lighted, and the
little table was laid for two with a daintiness very uncommon on the
prairie. It was a change for Sally to be waited on and to have a meal
set before her which she had not prepared with her own fingers, and she
sank into a chair with a smile of appreciation.

"It's real nice, Gregory," she remarked. "Supper's never quite the same
when you've had to stand over the stove ever so long getting it ready."
She sighed. "When I have to do that after working hard all day I don't
want to eat."

The man felt compassionate. Sally, as he was aware, had to work
unusually hard at the desolate homestead where she and her mother
perforce undertook a great many duties that do not generally fall to a
woman. Creighton, who was getting to be an old man, was of a grasping
nature, and hired assistance only when it was indispensable.

"Well," Hawtrey responded, "I'm not particularly fond of cooking
either."

Sally glanced at him with a provoking smile, for he had given her a
lead. "Then," she asked with a coquettish raising of the eyebrows, "why
don't you get somebody else to do it for you?"

This was, as Gregory recognized, almost painfully direct, but there was
no doubt that Sally looked very pretty with the faint flush of color in
her cheeks and the tantalizing light in her eyes.

"As a matter of fact, that's a thing I've been thinking over rather
often the last few months," he said, and he laughed. "It's rather a pity
you don't seem to like cooking, Sally."

Sally appeared to consider this. "Oh," she said, "it depends a lot on
who it's for."

Hawtrey became suddenly serious for a moment or two. There was no doubt
that at one time he would have considered it impossible that he should
marry a girl of Sally's description, and even now he had misgivings. He
had, however, almost made up his mind, and he was not exactly pleased
that the proprietor's wife came in with the meal, and stayed to talk a
while.

When the woman went out he watched Sally with close and what he imagined
was unobtrusive attention while she ate, and though he was aware of the
indelicacy of his scrutiny, he was relieved to find that she did nothing
that was actually repugnant to