He saw the change in her for the first time. She certainly was paler,
her face less boyish, and a deeper shadow hovered about her eyes.

"I came over to see if you wouldn't come down and help us get up a
jollification at the store on the Fourth," he said.

"Why, of course. What shall I do?"

"Oh, stir up a cake--and make some ice-cream. Can you make ice-cream?"

"You bet I can--with ice. Bring on your ice."

"Ice is easy to get. Cook is what bothered me."

"That ought to be easy," said Burke. "Marry one."

"That's what I'm telling Bailey."

"Why don't you set the example. 'Stelle Clayton--now."

Rivers laughed, but his eyes, directed above Burke's head, met the
unsmiling gaze of Blanche and sobered.

"Miss Clayton and I don't seem to get along first-rate," he said, and
her face lighted again.

"Well, there are lots of others 'round here--lonesome girls. Blanche,
can't you help Jim find a woman?"

Blanche did not answer lightly. She turned to her work. "I guess he can
find one if he tries hard."

She was alluring as she kneaded the bread at the table. The flex of her
waist and the swing of her skirts affected Rivers powerfully. He watched
her in silence. Once she looked around, and the penetrative glance of
his eyes filled her face with a rush of blood, and her eyes misted. A
few minutes later he said "good-night" in an absent-minded way and went
home.

Burke talked on, attempting to retain the cheery atmosphere which Rivers
had brought in, but Blanche refused to answer, a sombre look on her
sullen face. She seemed falling back into her old petulant, moody ways,
and her husband suffered a corresponding dejection.

The elation was passing out of his heart. Their picnic was at an end.

As the summer came on he was forced to go out ploughing for other
settlers, and she was left alone a great deal. This was hard to bear.
There was so little to do in her little sun-smit cabin, and her trip to
the post-office to get the mail and to meet the other settlers came to
be a necessity. Like the other women, she put on her best hat and gown
when she went to the store, and a low word of compliment from Rivers, as
he handed out the mail, put a color into her face and a joy in her
heart which her husband had never been able to arouse--indeed, it was
after these visits that she was most cruel to Willard.

Sometimes she went with him to visit the neighbors, but not often. One
day he said:

"I'm goin' to work f'r Jim