of my affair. It is
simply that either he is not the man we all think him or you are
acting in a way unbecoming a Zane. I do not purpose to have this
state of affairs continue. Now, enough of this beating about the
bush."

Betty had seen the Colonel angry more than once, but never with her.
It was quite certain she had angered him and she forgot her own
resentment. Her heart had warmed with her brother's praise of
Clarke. Then as she remembered the past she felt a scorn for her
weakness and such a revulsion of feeling that she cried out
passionately:

"He is a trifler. He never cared for me. He insulted me."

Col. Zane reached for his hat, got up without saying another word
and went down stairs.

Betty had not intended to say quite what she had and instantly
regretted her hasty words. She called to the Colonel, but he did not
answer her, nor return.

"Betty, what in the world could you have said to my husband?" said
Mrs. Zane as she entered the room. She was breathless from running
up the stairs and her comely face wore a look of concern. "He was as
white as that sheet and he stalked off toward the Fort without a
word to me."

"I simply told him Mr. Clarke had insulted me," answered Betty
calmly.

"Great Heavens! Betty, what have you done?" exclaimed Mrs. Zane.
"You don't know Eb when he is angry. He is a big fool over you,
anyway. He is liable to kill Clarke."

Betty's blood was up now and she said that would not be a matter of
much importance.

"When did he insult you?" asked the elder woman, yielding to her
natural curiosity.

"It was last October."

"Pooh! It took you a long time to tell it. I don't believe it
amounted to much. Mr. Clarke did not appear to be the sort of a man
to insult anyone. All the girls were crazy about him last year. If
he was not all right they would not have been."

"I do not care if they were. The girls can have him and welcome. I
don't want him. I never did. I am tired of hearing everyone eulogize
him. I hate him. Do you hear? I hate him! And I wish you would go
away and leave me alone."

"Well, Betty, all I will say is that you are a remarkable young
woman," answered Mrs. Zane, who saw plainly that Betty's violent
outburst was a prelude to a storm of weeping. "I don't believe a
word you have said. I don't believe you hate him. There!"

Col. Zane walked straight to the Fort, entered the block-house and
knocked on the door of Clarke's room. A voice bade him come in. H