curling lips, sprawled low behind the wheel of his roadster,
leering familiarly at her.

"Good-afternoon," she responded formally. "You must be in a hurry, Mr.
Wiley, to have taken this short cut instead of keeping to the highway.
It was good of you not to run me down, but the way is clear now."

She stepped aside into a mass of flowering low-grown bushes, but with a
light laugh the young man sprang from the car, hat in hand.

"I am never in a hurry to go when you are about, Billie! But you
always run away; you never will play with me. Why aren't you kind?"

Involuntarily she stepped back still farther as he advanced upon her.

"Are you in need of kindness?" she asked.

"I should think I was." He paused before her, still laughing, but his
pale eyes glittered. "You're the only girl in this God-forsaken town
that I want to be friends with, and you won't play. Be a good sport
and come for a little ride now; I'll show you some speed."

"Thanks," she drawled, her hand moving to rest lightly on her hip.
"Have you a few more old scores to settle to-day, with that tin
Juggernaut of yours?"

A shadow had fallen across the dazzling white of the road, but neither
noted it. The girl stood straight as a sapling, smiling up fearlessly
into the twisted, sardonic face thrust close to hers.

"You mean that yellow dog I ran over yesterday?" The semblance of
mirth was gone from his voice. "The fool wouldn't move quick enough,
and if anyone stands in my way I get them, sooner or later. You're a
little queen, Billie, and you've been lording it over the roughnecks
around here so long that you think you can set your heel on the neck of
the universe. A little cave-man stuff would be good for you, my dear."

"You being the cave-man?" Her clear laughter rang out scornfully.
"You aren't very well acquainted with us around here, Mr. Wiley, or
you'd realize that it isn't right healthy to appoint yourself to office
in these parts. The road is still clear, but you might find it barred
with something you couldn't run down if you don't move quick."

"You little she-cat!" He sprang forward and seized the wrist which
swung at her side. "You'll take a ride with me, do you hear? And
you'll come now, or I'll pick you up and carry----"

He got no farther. Something caught him sidewise and whirled him
headlong into the bushes, and a very calm, very resolute voice sounded
in almost forgotten tones.

"You'll pick yourself up first