y's sake. I swear I
didn't. I wanted you to. For I care, Russ, I can't help it. Please
forgive me. Please let me off this time. Don't--don't--"

"Will you shut up!" I interrupted, half beside myself. And I used force
in another way than speech. I shook her and sat her on the bed. "You
little fool, I didn't come in here to kill you or do some other awful
thing, as you think. For God's sake, Sally, what do you take me for?"

"Russ, you swore you'd do something terrible if I tempted you anymore,"
she faltered. The way she searched my face with doubtful, fearful eyes
hurt me.

"Listen," and with the word I seemed to be pervaded by peace. "I didn't
know this was your room. I came in here to get away--to save my life. I
was pursued. I was spying on Sampson and his men. They heard me, but did
not see me. They don't know who was listening. They're after me now. I'm
Special United States Deputy Marshal Sittell--Russell Archibald Sittell.
I'm a Ranger. I'm here as secret aid to Steele."

Sally's eyes changed from blank gulfs to dilating, shadowing, quickening
windows of thought. "Russ-ell Archi-bald Sittell," she echoed. "Ranger!
Secret aid to Steele!"

"Yes."

"Then you're no cowboy?"

"No."

"Only a make-believe one?"

"Yes."

"And the drinking, the gambling, the association with those low
men--that was all put on?"

"Part of the game, Sally. I'm not a drinking man. And I sure hate those
places I had to go in, and all that pertains to them."

"Oh, so _that's_ it! I knew there was something. How glad--how glad I
am!" Then Sally threw her arms around my neck, and without reserve or
restraint began to kiss me and love me. It must have been a moment of
sheer gladness to feel that I was not disreputable, a moment when
something deep and womanly in her was vindicated. Assuredly she was
entirely different from what she had ever been before.

There was a little space of time, a sweet confusion of senses, when I
could not but meet her half-way in tenderness. Quite as suddenly, then
she began to cry. I whispered in her ear, cautioning her to be careful,
that my life was at stake; and after that she cried silently, with one
of her arms round my neck, her head on my breast, and her hand clasping
mine. So I held her for what seemed a long time. Indistinct voices came
to me and footsteps seemingly a long way off. I heard the wind in the
rose-bush outside. Some one walked down the stony court. Then a shrill
neigh of a horse