I've got to see my dad. There's lots I must tell
him. He don't know--I didn't know."

"You can't see your dad no more, kid," says I. "That time has went by.
I'm foreman here till midnight of today; and while I am there ain't
nobody going to bother him. He's had trouble enough already."

She stood sort of shaking. I had her wrists in my hands now.

"When it's all over," says I--"meaning a few things we're going to
settle tonight--I'll come out to you in Wyoming. I won't be foreman here
no more. I'm going to go and throw in with you, even against the old
man."

She begun to cry now.

"What are you talking about? I want him!" says she. "I want to see my
dad. I need him--and he needs me!"

"Yes; he does need you," says I. "He's needed you for a long time. But
you wouldn't like to see him now; he's changed a heap. He ain't got a
friend left on earth except me, and that ends at midnight. He's had it
pretty rough, when you come to think it all over," says I.

"I must go in, Curly," says she.

"No; you can't," says I. "I'm foreman and I won't let you. He wouldn't
want it; he's marked you off his books--we just been doing that today,
with a lawyer and a barber."

"But, Curly, he doesn't know----"

"Huh!" says I. "Well, he thinks he does. He figures you're the same as
if you was dead."

"Curly!" she cries now hard. "Curly, it mustn't be! It's all a mistake;
it's all been a mistake. I've come back----"

"Yes," says I; "it was a mistake. It ain't been nothing but a mistake
all down the line. But, as far as it can be squared, the old man and me
we've set out to square it tonight. Him and me is going to call on Old
Man Wisner this evening," says I. "We're going over as soon as Old Man
Wisner gets home. I'm going with your pa, Bonnie. You know me and I
reckon you know him too. I reckon there may be some plain conversation."

"I've got to see him!" says she over and over again.

"Well, if you want to see him," says I, "you go on over there and, like
enough, you will see him before long. You belong that side the wall now.
Tonight is when Old Man Wright and me settles with Old Man Wisner, and
settles permanent. We live on this side."

She turns now and runs away so fast I couldn't catch her.

I seen someone get out of the car now--a man; and she taken his arm and
they both went out of sight around the end of the wall. I allowed they'd
went up to the door. Right soon I seen a light in their higher windows
above the wa