ed.

That night Keith waited for Wickersham at the hotel till a late hour,
and when at length Wickersham came in he met him.

"I thought you were going back to New York?" he said.

"I find it pleasanter here," said the young man, with a significant look
at him.

"You appear to find it pleasant."

"I always make it pleasant for myself wherever I go, my boy. You are a
Stoic; I prefer the Epicurean philosophy."

"Yes? And how about others?"

"Oh, I make it pleasant for them too. Didn't it look so to-day?" The
glance he gave him authorized Keith to go on.

"Did it ever occur to you that you might make it too pleasant for
them--for a time?"

"Ah! I have thought of that. But that's their lookout."

"Wickersham," said Keith, calmly, "that's a very young girl and a very
ignorant girl, and, so far as I know, a very innocent one."

"Doubtless you know!" said, the other, insolently.

"Yes, I believe she is. Moreover, she comes of very good and respectable
people. Her grandfather--"

"My dear boy, I don't care anything about the grandfather! It is only
the granddaughter I am interesting myself in. She is the only pretty
girl within a hundred miles of here, unless you except your old friend
of the dance-hall, and I always interest myself in the prettiest woman
about me."

"Do you intend to marry her?"

Wickersham laughed, heartily and spontaneously.

"Oh, come now, Keith. Are you going to marry the dance-hall keeper,
simply because she has white teeth?"

Keith frowned a little.

"Never mind about me. Do you propose to marry her? She, at least, does
not keep a dance-hall."

"No; I shall leave that for you." His face and tone were insolent, and
Keith gripped his chair. He felt himself flush. Then his blood surged
back; but he controlled himself and put by the insolence for the moment.

"Leave me out of the matter. Do you know what you are doing?" His voice
was a little unsteady.

"I know at least what you are doing: interfering in my business. I know
how to take care of myself, and I don't need your assistance."

"I was not thinking of you, but of her--"

"That's the difference between us. I was," said Ferdy, coolly. He rolled
a cigarette.

"Well, you will have need to think of yourself if you wrong that girl,"
said Keith. "For I tell you now that if anything were to happen to her,
your life would not be worth a button in these mountains."

"There are other places besides the mountains," observed Wicke