t's all it amounts to."

"Dear me, what a notion!"

"No, ma'am, no notion. Tommy--well, Tommy is considered harmless, ma'am.
A cow-puncher of reputation in this country would cert'nly never let
Tommy get ahaid of him that way."

"It's pleasant to know sometimes how much we count!" exclaimed Molly.

"Why, ma'am," said the Virginian, surprised at her flash of indignation,
"where is any countin' without some love?"

"Do you mean to say that Mr. McLean does not care for Miss Peck?"

"I reckon he thinks he does. But there is a mighty wide difference
between thinkin' and feelin', ma'am."

I saw Molly's eyes drop from his, and I saw the rose deepen in her
cheeks. But just then a loud voice came from the kitchen.

"You, Lin, if you try any of your foolin' with me, I'll histe yu's over
the jiste!"

"All cow-punchers--" I attempted to resume.

"Quit now, Lin McLean," shouted the voice, "or I'll put yus through that
window, and it shut."

"Well, Miss Peck, I'm gettin' most a full dose o' this treatment. Ever
since yu' come I've been doing my best. And yu' just cough in my face.
And now I'm going to quit and cough back."

"Would you enjoy walkin' out till supper, ma'am?" inquired the Virginian
as Molly rose. "You was speaking of gathering some flowers yondeh."

"Why, yes," said Molly, blithely. "And you'll come?" she added to me.

But I was on the Virginian's side. "I must look after my horse," said I,
and went down to the corral.

Day was slowly going as I took my pony to the water. Corncliff Mesa,
Crowheart Butte, these shone in the rays that came through the canyon.
The canyon's sides lifted like tawny castles in the same light. Where
I walked the odor of thousands of wild roses hung over the margin where
the thickets grew. High in the upper air, magpies were sailing across
the silent blue. Somewhere I could hear Tommy explaining loudly how he
and General Crook had pumped lead into hundreds of Indians; and when
supper-time brought us all back to the door he was finishing the account
to Mrs. Taylor. Molly and the Virginian arrived bearing flowers, and he
was saying that few cow-punchers had any reason for saving their money.

"But when you get old?" said she.

"We mostly don't live long enough to get old, ma'am," said he, simply.
"But I have a reason, and I am saving."

"Give me the flowers," said Molly. And she left him to arrange them on
the table as Lin came hurrying out.

"I've told her," said he to the