o hunt a new place to live; but as long as I do stay
here you will have to act like a man--even if you can't act like a
father. I think that in the future I shall take my meals alone."

"I do want to act like a father, little girl. That's what I want most
of all. If you would only go back to the old times, if you would only
get this sneak out of your head"--Jabez had started in gentle an'
repentent, but the minute he thought of Dick again he flared out white
with rage--"an' you might just as well get him out of your head, 'cause
he's the same as dead to you. I hate him! I hate every sneak; an' I
hate every lie--spoken or lived, I hate a lie!"

The ol' man leaned forward, shaking with anger, an' Barbie got up like
a queen an' walked out o' the room as though she was steppin' on the
necks of the airy-stockracy. She went to the office, an' after a couple
o' minutes I follered her, expectin' to cheer her up a bit; but she
wasn't mournin' none; she was workin' like a steam engine, with her
face cold an' white except for a little patch o' red in each cheek; an'
when she raised her eyes to mine I knew 'at the ol' man had gone a link
too far.

After me and Barbie had taken up Dick's work we had divided his wages,
an' she had a nice little roll of her own corded away. I didn't ask no
questions, but it was plain as day that she had jerked up her tie-rope;
an' the next time Cast Steel used the spurs he was goin' to be dumped
off an' she was goin' to flit the trail for Never-again. I didn't blame
her a mite; an' though I didn't pester her with queries nor smother her
with advice nor sicken her with consolation nor madden her with pity, I
did give her the man-to-man look, an' she knew 'at all she had to do
was to issue orders.

It was that very afternoon that she started to correctin' my talk an'
stimulatin' my ambition, an' tellin' me about it never bein' too late
to mend; an' while I couldn't quite decide just what she was drivin' at
I saw that when she found she couldn't trust her cinches any longer we
was both goin' to jump together. About five o'clock she put her hand on
my shoulder an' sez: "We've been mighty good pals, Happy Hawkins; an'
while you ain't parlor-broke nor city-wise, any time 'at anybody counts
on you they don't have to count over."

She walked softly out o' the office, an' I sat until it was long after
dark. I couldn't believe 'at she was desperate enough to marry me; I
could see the gulf between us plain