hrieked Barkley again, in spite of her
presence, perhaps because of it. "Where can I get a gun?"

"You forget--my daughter--" began Ellsworth. But Constance avenged the
discourtesy for herself.

"Never mind, papa," she said coldly. "Mr. Barkley, you look
ridiculous. Go wash your face; and then, if you want a gun, go get one
in the front room. The wall's full of them." A glint of scorn was in
her eyes, which carried no mercy for the vanquished, nor any concern
for the victor. She drew her father with her into her own room.

"By the Lord! girl," exclaimed he, "things have come out different from
what we expected. I never thought--"

"No," said Constance, "you never thought. You didn't know." She spoke
bitterly.

Ellsworth sank down in a chair, his hands in his pockets. "Well, we're
whipped," said he. "The game's up. That fellow Anderson did us up,
after all,--and look here, here's the money he threw back, almost in my
face. They went with him like so many lambs. Confound it all, I don't
more'n half believe I ever understood that fellow."

"No, you never did," said Constance, slowly. She was sitting upon the
edge of the bed, gazing at her father quietly. "And so he threw away
his chance?"

"Just what he did. Said it meant a lot for him to throw away his
future, but he was going to do it."

"Did he say that?" asked the girl.

"Sure he said it! There's not going to be any railroad at Heart's
Desire; and incidentally Mr. Daniel Anderson isn't going to be mayor,
or division counsel with a salary of ten thousand dollars a year. Oh,
well, to-morrow we'll pull out of here."

Constance was deliberate with her reply. "One thing, dad, is sure,"
said she; "when we go, you and I go together. Let Porter Barkley take
the stage to-morrow if he likes. You and I'll go back by way of Sky
Top; and we'll go alone."

Ellsworth pursed his lips into a whistle, many things perplexing him.
"He's lucky to get away at all," he remarked at length. "From what he
said, it looks like there'd be more trouble."

"Trouble!" She flung out her hand in contempt. "There'll be no
trouble if it waits for him to make it. If I know Porter Barkley,
he'll know enough to stay right there in his room. If he does not--"

"By Jinks! Dolly," exclaimed her father, "you remind me all the time
of your mother. I never could fool that woman; and no one ever could
scare her!"

She looked at him without reply, and though he stroke