about the successor, planning their hearty
welcome for that official, and were encouraged in this by Mr. McLean.
He reappeared in the neighborhood with a manner and conversation highly
casual.

"Bring your new wife?" they inquired.

"No; she preferred Kentucky," Lin said.

"Bring the old one?"

"No; she preferred Laramie."

"Kentucky's a right smart way to chase after a girl," said the
Virginian.

"Sure!" said Mr. McLean. "I quit at Edgeford."

He met their few remarks so smoothly that they got no joy from him; and
being asked had he seen the new agent, he answered yes, that Tubercle
had gone Wednesday, and his successor did not seem to be much of a man.

But to me Lin had nothing to say until noon camp was scattering from
its lunch to work, when he passed close, and whispered, "You'll see her
to-morrow if you go in with the outfit." Then, looking round to
make sure we were alone in the sage-brush, he drew from his pocket,
cherishingly, a little shining pistol. "Hers," said he, simply.

I looked at him.

"We've exchanged," he said.

He turned the token in his hand, caressing it as on that first night
when Jessamine had taken his heart captive.

"My idea," he added, unable to lift his eyes from the treasure. "See
this, too."

I looked, and there was the word "Neighbor" engraved on it.

"Her idea," said he.

"A good one!" I murmured.

"It's on both, yu' know. We had it put on the day she settled to accept
the superintendent's proposition." Here Lin fired his small exchanged
weapon at a cotton-wood, striking low. "She can beat that with mine!" he
exclaimed, proud and tender. "She took four days deciding at Edgeford,
and I learned her to hit the ace of clubs." He showed me the cards they
had practiced upon during those four days of indecision; he had them in
a book as if they were pressed flowers. "They won't get crumpled that
way," said he; and he further showed me a tintype. "She's got the other
at Separ," he finished.

I shook his hand with all my might. Yes, he was worthy of her! Yes, he
deserved this smooth course his love was running! And I shook his hand
again. To tonic her grief Jessamine had longed for some activity, some
work, and he had shown her Wyoming might hold this for her as well as
Kentucky. "But how in the world," I asked him, "did you persuade her to
stop over at Edgeford at all?"

"Yu' mustn't forget," said the lover (and he blushed), "that I had her
four hours alone on the trai