idea she had. When he was a young fellow about
eighteen or nineteen he had an idea of being a Ranger, and he gave her
considerable worry, I guess. Steve was like his father was, and she
was always watching over him to see that he did n't get into danger.
Steve's ma was hardly more than up to his elbow. She looked like a
little girl alongside of him. She had real white hair."

"He must have been very fond of his mother."

"Thought as much of her as if he had picked her out himself. But as I
was going to tell---- Towards the last when she was down sick and
pretty near faded out, she seemed to think he was n't any more than a
little boy that had just grown up big. She always did seem to have
pretty much that idea anyway; and he never let on but what he was. As
long as he fetched and carried for her, and never got into any danger
except when he kept it secret, I don't suppose she ever exactly noticed
when he did grow up. And when she died you could see that she was
worried about what would become of him. I went for the doctor when she
died. Steve got out a fast horse and I made some pretty quick time.
When I got the doctor to the house I went into the room with him; and
you could see she was n 't going to hold out much longer. She seemed
to know it too. The last thing she said that night was, 'Good-bye,
Stevie; don't go and join the Rangers.'"

"And what did he say?"

"He told her he would n't--just as honest as if it was all so. That
satisfied her and she shut her eyes again, and that was the way she
went. 'Good-bye, Stevie, don't go and join the Rangers.'"

"He did n't usually tell her everything?" said Janet reflectively.

"Not till he saw fit. Old Steve was pretty much the same way. If it
was anything she 'd worry about, he 'd do it first. Then sometime when
it was all over, he 'd let the cat out of the bag. The old man sort of
spoiled her; and Steve just naturally took hold the same way."

"They always did tell her, then?"

"Sooner or later."

"He struck me as a man that was--rather fond of his mother."

"He thought she could n't be beat. She pretty near run him and old
Steve; they were two of a kind. They would n't 'a' dared to do
anything if she was against it. I guess that was the reason they went
ahead on their own hook on anything she might worry about. They were
afraid she 'd say no, I guess."

"Then she really did have something to say, after all," suggested Janet.

"She twis