ght a cry of pain.

"Forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt," he said contritely. "Be a good
girl, Hazel, and let's get our feet on earth again. Sit down and put
your arm around my neck and be my pal, like you used to be. We've got
no business nursing these hard feelings. It's folly. I haven't
committed any crime. I've only stood for a square deal. Come on; bury
the hatchet, little person."

"Let me go," she sobbed, struggling to be free. "I h-hate you!"

"Please, little person. I can't eat humble pie more than once or
twice."

"Let me go," she panted. "I don't want you to touch me."

"Listen to me," he said sternly. "I've stood about all of your
nonsense I'm able to stand. I've had to fight a pack of business
wolves to keep them from picking my carcass, and, what's more important
to me, to keep them from handing a raw deal to five men who wallowed
through snow and frost and all kinds of hardship to make these sharks a
fortune. I've got down to their level and fought them with their own
weapons--and the thing is settled. I said last night I'd be through
here inside a week. I'm through now--through here. I have business in
the Klappan; to complete this thing I've set my hand to. Then I'm
going to the ranch and try to get the bad taste out of my mouth. I'm
going to-morrow. I've no desire or intention to coerce you. You're my
wife, and your place is with me, if you care anything about me. And I
want you. You know that, don't you? I wouldn't be begging you like
this if I didn't. I haven't changed, nor had my eyes dazzled by any
false gods. But it's up to you. I don't bluff. I'm going, and if I
have to go without you I won't come back. Think it over, and just ask
yourself honestly if it's worth while."

He drew her up close to him and kissed her on one anger-flushed cheek,
and then, as he had done the night before, walked straight away to the
bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Hazel slept little that night. A horrid weight seemed to rest
suffocatingly upon her. More than once she had an impulse to creep in
there where Bill lay and forget it all in the sweep of that strong arm.
But she choked back the impulse angrily. She would not forgive him.
He had made her suffer. For his high-handedness she would make him
suffer in kind. At least, she would not crawl to him begging
forgiveness.

When sunrise laid a yellow beam, all full of dancing motes, across her
bed, she heard Bill stir, he