eceived
to my full satisfaction.

"There ain't no comeback to that!" exulted Sanderson. "Now we'll start
buildin' that dam. Mebbe, though," he added, grinning at her, "if you
knew where a mighty hungry man could find a good cook that would be
willin' to rustle some grub, there'd be----"

She laughed. "Right away!" she said, and went outside to perform her
ablutions.

Sanderson, while she was outside, counted out ten thousand dollars and
put it into a pocket. Then he piled the remainder of the money neatly
on the table. When Mary came in, her face glowing, her hair freshly
combed, he stood and looked at her with admiration in his eyes, and a
great longing in his heart.

"I've dreamed of seein' you that way," he said.

"As your cook?" she demanded, reddening.

"A man's grub would taste a heap better if his wife did the cookin',"
he said, his face sober.

"Why--why--" she said; "do you mean----"

"I wouldn't be finicky if--if my wife was doin' my cookin'," he
declared, his own face crimson. "I wouldn't kick if she gave me the
same kind of grub every mornin'--if it was she I've wanted."

"Why, Sanderson! Is this----"

"It's a proposal, ma'am. I can't say what I want to say--what I've
figured on sayin' to you. I don't seem to be able to find the words I
wanted to use. But you'll understand, ma'am."

"That you want a cook more than you want a--a wife? Oh, Sanderson!"
she mocked.

She knew that it was bashfulness that had caused him to mention the
cooking; that he had introduced the subject merely for the purpose of
making an oblique start; but she could not resist the temptation to
taunt him.

She looked furtively at him to see how deeply she had hurt him, but was
surprised to see him grinning widely.

"Women ain't so wise as they pretend to be," he said. "There's grub,
an' grub. An' what kind of grub is it that a man in love wants most?"

She caught his meaning, now, and blushed rosy red, drooping her eyes
from his.

"That wasn't fair, Sanderson," she said lowly. "Besides, a man can't
live on kisses."

"I know a man who can," he smiled, his eyes eager and glowing, now that
he saw she was not going to repel him; "that is," he added lowly, "if
he could find a cook that would give them to him whenever he wanted
them. But it would take a lot of them, an' they'd have to be given
with the cook's consent. Do you think you could----"

He paused and looked at her, for her eyes were shining a