tonight! She's mine! Ye gived her to me, and I
want her now."

Lem wriggled his body between Fledra and the stairs; but the girl thrust
herself upon him with an angry snarl.

"Don't touch me with your dirty hands!" she gasped.

Lem caught his breath.

"Ye've let that rich pup of a Shellington kiss ye--ye don't move from
here!"

Fledra crushed back against the cabin wall and eluded his searching
fingers.

"I was goin' to marry Mr. Shellington; but I ain't now. I'm going back
to him for tonight, and tomorrow, and I'm goin' to let him kiss me, and
I'm goin' to kiss him."

She put forward her face until her breath swept Lem's skin.

"I'm goin' to kiss him as much--as much as he'll let me. And I'm goin'
to write Fluke; and, if ye touches me afore I does all that--I'll kill
ye!"

Lena drew back from her vehemence, leaving the way of the staircase
clear, and in another instant Fledra was gone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The following day Shellington left for New York, immediately after
breakfast.

Fledra made no attempt to write her farewells until in the evening after
she had looked her last upon Floyd, and Ann had seen her to bed. An hour
passed before she got up softly and turned on the light. She fumbled
warily about her table for writing materials, and after she had found
them her tense face was bent long over the letters. When she had
finished, she stole along the hall to Horace's study, and left there the
tear-stained envelops for him and her brother.

Once back in her room, she donned her street-clothes rapidly, and, after
taking a silent farewell of the surroundings she loved, climbed through
the window and dropped to the ground. She crept stealthily to the back
of the house and approached the dog-kennels. Through the dim light she
could see the scrawny greyhounds pulling at their leashes as she fumbled
at the wire-mesh door. Whines from several of the dogs made Fledra step
inside, whence she glanced out misgivingly to see if she had been
observed.

"Snatchet!" she whispered.

From a distant corner she heard the rattle of a chain.

"Snatchet!" she called again.

This time she spoke more loudly and advanced a step.

"Where are ye?"

A familiar whine gave her Snatchet's whereabouts. She felt her way
along the right wall, and as she passed each animal she spoke tenderly
to it. Upon reaching the little mongrel, Fledra placed her face down
close to him. The glitter of his shining eyes, the war