tever!"

And when Buck Badger put his foot down he usually put it down hard.

"I'd feel better if I could only meet Don Pike and swell up his eyes for
him," he continued to growl. "But the coward has sloped."

It did, indeed, seem that Pike was making an effort to keep out of the
way of the Westerner. The very sight of the Lee home quickened Badger's
heart-beats. He felt that he would give anything to know if Winnie was
in the house, or had been spirited away.

"Like enough, her father has locked her in her room! But there ain't any
keys whatever that are made strong enough to keep me from seeing her.
I'll do it sooner or later."

Fortune favored the Westerner--fortune and his sweetheart, Winnie Lee.
Winnie was as wildly anxious to see Buck as he was to see her. She had
been locked in her room for stubbornness in refusing to promise never to
see Badger again, and the other girls had been told that she was ill and
could not be seen. They knew better now, for Winnie had finally bribed
and coaxed one of the servants to tell them the truth. They had not
known it long, but long enough for Inza--indignant as she was brave, and
brave as she was indignant--to send to Winnie a note, signed by herself
and Elsie, assuring the unhappy girl of their sympathy and firm
friendship. And that note was wrapped round a door-key which fitted
Winnie's door, which the servant was bribed to carry.

So it came about that shortly after nightfall Winnie let herself out of
her room, and creeping down some familiar halls and stairways, emerged
into the grounds surrounding the house. Then she turned toward the
street. She did not know what she meant to do, only she had a feeling
that Buck was somewhere in the vicinity trying to find an opportunity to
speak to her. She had felt sure that he would not abandon the attempt to
communicate with her. She had on her jacket, with a scarf thrown over
her head. She felt that she would not be easily recognized.

She stopped as she drew near the corner which gave a view down the
street. There was a stir beyond the wall. The next instant a form came
flying over the fence.

"Winnie!"

"Buck!"

It was Badger!

"I have been crazy to see you!" he whispered, clasping her tightly in
his arms. "I knew it wasn't your fault that I did not get to see you.
Have they had you locked up?"

"Yes," she answered, fervently returning the kiss. "I just got out of
the room. Somehow, I felt that you were down here, and