roke the silence after his story with a gentle "Thank you. I can
understand why you don't like to tell the story."

"I am very glad of the chance to tell it to you," he answered.

"When you were delirious you sometimes begged some one you called Ned
not to break his mother's heart. I thought then you might be speaking to
yourself as ill people do. Of course I see now it was your cousin that
was on your mind."

"When I was out of my head I must have talked a lot of nonsense,"
he suggested, in the voice of a question. "I expect I had opinions I
wouldn't have been scattering around so free if I'd known what I was
saying."

He was hardly prepared for the tide of color that swept her cheeks at
his words nor for the momentary confusion that shuttered the shy eyes
with long lashes cast down.

"Sick folks do talk foolishness, they say," he added, his gaze trained
on her suspiciously.

"Do they?"

"Mrs. Winslow says I did. But when I asked her what it was I said she
only laughed and told me to ask y'u. Well, I'm askin' now."

She became very busy over the teapot. "You talked about the work at your
ranch--sheep dipping and such things."

"Was that all?"

"No, about lots of other things--football and your early life. I don't
see what Mrs. Winslow meant. Will you have some more tea?"

"No, thank y'u. I have finished. Yes, that ce'tainly seems harmless. I
didn't know but I had been telling secrets." Still his unwavering eyes
rested quietly on her.

"Secrets?" She summoned her aplomb to let a question rest lightly in
the face she turned toward him, though she was afraid she met his
eyes hardly long enough for complete innocence "Why, yes, secrets." He
measured looks with her deliberately before he changed the subject, and
he knew again the delightful excitement of victory. "Are y'u going to
read to me this evening?"

She took his opening so eagerly that he smiled, at which her color
mounted again.

"If y'u like. What shall I read?"

"Some more of Barrie's books, if y'u don't mind. When a fellow is weak
as a kitten he sorter takes to things that are about kids."

Nora came in and cleared away the supper things. She was just beginning
to wash them when McWilliams and Denver dropped into the kitchen by
different doors. Each seemed surprised and disappointed at the presence
of the other. Nora gave each of them a smile and a dishcloth.

"Reddy, he's shavin' and Frisco's struggling with a biled shirt--I mean
with a n