' blind--lettin' men kiss you an'
fondle you--when you're really a growed-up woman now?"

"Yes--I have," whispered Ellen.

"Wal, then, why did you let them?

"I--I don't know.... I didn't think. The men never let me
alone--never--never! I got tired everlastingly pushin' them away. And
sometimes--when they were kind--and I was lonely for something I--I
didn't mind if one or another fooled round me. I never thought. It
never looked as y'u have made it look.... Then--those few times ridin'
the trail to Grass Valley--when people saw me--then I guess I
encouraged such attentions.... Oh, I must be--I am a shameless little
hussy!"

"Hush thet kind of talk," said the old man, as he took her hand.
"Ellen, you're only young an' lonely an' bitter. No mother--no
friends--no one but a lot of rough men! It's a wonder you hev kept
yourself good. But now your eyes are open, Ellen. They're brave an'
beautiful eyes, girl, an' if you stand by the light in them you will
come through any trouble. An' you'll be happy. Don't ever forgit
that. Life is hard enough, God knows, but it's unfailin' true in the
end to the man or woman who finds the best in them an' stands by it."

"Uncle John, y'u talk so--so kindly. Yu make me have hope. There
seemed really so little for me to live for--hope for.... But I'll never
be a coward again--nor a thoughtless fool. I'll find some good in
me--or make some--and never fail it, come what will. I'll remember
your words. I'll believe the future holds wonderful things for me....
I'm only eighteen. Shore all my life won't be lived heah. Perhaps
this threatened fight over sheep and cattle will blow over....
Somewhere there must be some nice girl to be a friend--a sister to
me.... And maybe some man who'd believe, in spite of all they say--that
I'm not a hussy."

"Wal, Ellen, you remind me of what I was wantin' to tell you when you
just got here.... Yestiddy I heerd you called thet name in a barroom.
An' thar was a fellar thar who raised hell. He near killed one man an'
made another plumb eat his words. An' he scared thet crowd stiff."

Old John Sprague shook his grizzled head and laughed, beaming upon
Ellen as if the memory of what he had seen had warmed his heart.

"Was it--y'u?" asked Ellen, tremulously.

"Me? Aw, I wasn't nowhere. Ellen, this fellar was quick as a cat in
his actions an' his words was like lightnin'.'

"Who? she whispered.

"Wal, no one else but a stranger jest