lly, about the flaming
miracle of the cactus hedge was as persistent in her heart as the desire
of a crocus to push through the earth to the sunshine on a spring
morning. She did not know whether the wish would survive the meeting with
her husband. She thought that would depend as much upon him as upon her
mood.

But luncheon time came and Knight did not appear.

Annesley lunched alone, in her gray frock. Even on days when Knight was
with her, and they sat through their meals formally, it was the same as
if she were alone, for they spoke little, and each was in the habit of
bringing a book to the table.

But she had not meant it to be so on this Easter Day. Even if she did not
speak of the blossoming of the cactus, she had planned to show Knight
that she was willing to begin a conversation. To talk at meals would be
a way out of "treating him like a dog."

The pretty frock and the good intention were wasted. Late in the
afternoon she heard from one of the line riders whom she happened to see
that something had gone wrong with a windmill which gave water to the
pumps for the cattle, and that her husband was attending to it.

"He's a natural born engineer," said the man, whose business as "line
rider" was to keep up the wire fencing from one end of the ranch to the
other. "I don't know how much he _knows_, but I know what he can _do_.
Queer thing, ma'am! There don't seem to be much that Mike Donaldson
_can't_ do!"

Annesley smiled to hear Knight called "Mike" by one of his employees. She
knew that he was popular, but never before had she felt personal pleasure
in the men's tributes of affection.

To-day she felt a thrill. Her heart was warm with the spring and the
miracle of the cactus hedge, and memories of impetuous--_seemingly_
impetuous--words of last night.

If she could have seen Knight she would have spoken of his allegory; and
that small opening might have let sunlight into their darkness. But he
did not come even to dinner; and tired of waiting, and weary from a
sleepless night, she went to bed.

Next morning a man arrived who wished to buy a bunch of Donaldson's
cattle, which were beginning to be famous. He stayed several days; and
when he left Knight had business at the copper mine--business that
concerned the sinking of a new shaft, which took him back and forth
nearly every day for a week. By and by the cactus flowers began to fade,
and Annesley had never found an opportunity of mentioning them, or