ou that I did come and you were gone," Vandecar answered
emphatically.

"Ye didn't think how I loved her, how I'd a dreamed of huggin' my own
little brat!"

Vandecar interrupted again:

"I took the baby with me, Lon Cronk." At the word "baby," Lon dragged
his heavy hand backward across his eyes. "The baby," continued the
governor, "was no bigger than this,--a wee bit of a girl, such as all
big men love to father."

The squatter stood rigidly up against the wall, until his head almost
reached the ceiling. His fierce eyes centered themselves upon Vandecar.

"If I'd a knowed, Mister," he mumbled, "that ye'd took my little Midge's
hand in yer'n, that ye soothed her when she was a howlin' fer me, I
wouldn't have cribbed yer kids--I'll be damned if I would 'ave! But I
hated ye--Christ! how I hated ye! I could only think how ye wouldn't
help me." He shuddered, wiped his wet lips, and went on, "After that I
went plumb to hell. There weren't no living with me in prison, lessen I
were strapped in the jacket till my meat were scorched. It seemed as how
it made my hurt less for her to have my own skin blistered. Then, when I
got out of prison, I never once took my eyes offen ye, and when yer
woman gived ye Flea and Flukey--"

A cry from Fledra brought all eyes upon her save Lon's.

"When yer woman gived ye the two kids," he went on, "I let 'em stay long
enough for ye to love 'em; then I stole 'em away. But, if I'd a knowed
that ye tooked mine--" He moved forward restlessly and almost whispered,
"Mister, will ye tell me how the little 'un looked? And were it warm and
snuggly? Did ye let it lay ag'in' ye--and sleep?" The miserable,
questioning voice rose in demand, but lowered again. "Did ye let it grab
hold of yer fingers--oh, that were what I wanted more'n anythin' else!
And that's why I stealed yours; so ye'd know what sufferin' was. If ye'd
only telled me, Mister--if ye'd only telled me!"

Vandecar groaned--groaned for them all, no more for himself and for his
gentle wife than for the great hulk of a man wrestling in agony. Tears
rose slowly to his lids; but he dashed them away.

"Cronk," he cried, "Cronk, for God's sake, don't--don't! I've borne an
awful burden all these years, and every time I've thought of her I've
thought of you and wondered where you were."

"I were with my little woman in spirit," the squatter interrupted, "when
I weren't tryin' to get even with you. Mister, will ye swear by God that
ye telled m