unwavering
faith in her was worse to bear than his anger would have been. "Still,
the message was plain, and I remembered it," she said.

Alton made a little gesture of impatience. "No," he said resolutely,
"you did not, and if you had done you would have had a reason that
would have made it right."

The girl sat silent a few moments, her thoughts in confusion, almost
angry with the man for his loyalty. "But there is more. You were
going back into the ranges to relocate the mine--and I knew that it
would cost you a great deal when I sent the note that stopped you."

The bronze faded suddenly in the man's face, and there was a dew upon
his forehead, while the girl felt very faint and cold as she realized
how he would feel the blow. Yet she could not spare either herself or
him, and she struck while she had the courage left.

"I knew you would risk everything if I asked you to, and that was why I
sent the note. I wanted to hurt you."

Alton's hand tightened upon the balustrade, and then turning slowly he
paced along the verandah, while Alice Deringham choked back a sob as
she noticed that now his steps were uneven. She had accomplished the
task that was laid upon her, and it only remained for her to keep
silence and hide her suffering. In another moment he would descend the
verandah stairway and she would never see him again. Alton, however,
went past the stairway as though he did not see it, moving clumsily,
with a limp that pained the girl more than his face had done. Then he
turned and she felt her heart beat faster, for there was a change in
him when he came back again. He stopped and stood still close by her.

"You must try to forgive me--but it hurt," he said.

Alice Deringham turned her face away from him, and for a moment wonder
almost drove all other emotion out of her.

"I--I don't understand. It was I who did that horrible thing."

"Then," said Alton very gravely, "you were driven to it. My dear, you
could of your own will do no wrong."

Again his great faith in her brought the blood to the white face of the
girl, and her humiliation almost overwhelmed her. Still, she was
determined that he should know all, and she struck again.

"No," she said, with a cold incisiveness, though her voice was faint
and strained. "I did it because I hated you--and longed for any means
of punishing you."

Alton seemed to shiver, but his eyes were fixed on her steadily, and
next moment he had laid his