nd I'll stop here," he replied.
"As I said, I'd not bring down upon your head a single unpleasant
word."

"My head's not so tender," she responded quickly. "But I think you're
right--for the present." A tight little smile followed the words.
"We'll see."

"That's best."

"But I propose to stand by you. I told you that night I couldn't
remain indifferent when I saw an innocent man persecuted."

"You give me a tremendous amount of happiness."

"If I do, I'm glad. I don't believe you ever had much of it. Do you
know what is said? That you never smile. But I can swear that isn't
true, and I'm beginning to wonder if you really are--Heavens, what was
I about to say!"

"Go ahead. It's nothing terrible, I wager."

"Well, I won't finish that, but I'll ask a question even more
impertinent, if I may. Frankly, I'm dying of curiosity to know."

Weir turned his head to listen to the approach of a horseman. He could
see the man galloping towards them for town, having turned into the
road from a lane a short distance off, his horse's hoofs striking an
occasional spark from a stone. Then the engineer looked smilingly at
Janet Hosmer.

"I'll tell you anything--or almost anything." One subject alone was
sealed.

"It's that name."

"Name?"

"'Cold Steel.' How did you get it?"

"It was just pinned on me a few years ago. I'm not particularly proud
of it. I don't even know the rogue who gave me the label. And it means
nothing."

"Even your enemies are using it,--and I understand what it signifies."
She bent her eyes upon him for a time. "That is, what it signifies to
your friends."

"And to my enemies?"

"More gossip. They say it's because you're a gun-man and a knife-man.
Oh, I wish I didn't have to have my ears filled with such vicious
slander! But it means the same to enemies as to friends if they would
but admit it. I'll wait until this rider passes, then I must go."

No thought of friends or foes, both, or of any such person as Ed
Sorenson in particular, was in Steele's mind as he made answer.

"I'd stand here forever if you didn't go," he said, with a low
eagerness that caused her breath to flutter in spite of herself.

On her part, her mind was whispering, "He means it, I believe he
really means it." Which caused her to lift and lower her eyes
hurriedly, and feel a peculiar sense of trepidation and excitement.
Odd to state, she, too, just then had no recollection of any such
being as Ed Sorenson, which was t