uch of sarcasm, "I believe I've heard that
before."

"But I mean it!" he declared and she smiled rather grimly. "And that!"
she answered, whereupon Rimrock flushed. He had used those words
before in exactly the same connection. It must be madness, this insane
prompting that moved him to talk love to this girl. The first time he
had met her, after a scant hour of conversation, he had made that
equivocal remark: "How about fifty-fifty--an undivided half?" And many
times since, when he came to think of it, he had wondered how the words
had slipped out. It was a way he had, of speaking impulsively, but now
it was more than that. He had deliberately planned to take her out on
the desert and ask her that question again. There was something about
her that destroyed his judgment even when, as now, she made no effort
to charm.

"Then that shows I mean it!" he answered fatuously. "I meant it, the
very first time."

"Well, it's very flattering," she said, dimpling slightly, "but isn't
this rather sudden?"

"You bet it's sudden--that's the way I do things!" He dropped the
wheel and caught her in his arms.

"Oh, be careful," she cried and as he tried roughly to kiss her she
thrust him in the throat with her elbow. They struggled for a moment
and then, as the machine made a swerve, she laid her hands on the wheel.

"Just let me drive this machine," she said, "and remember--you are
supposed to be a gentleman."

"Well, I am!" protested Rimrock as he came out of his madness. "What's
the matter? Are you going back home?"

She had flung a quick turn out across a hard flat and was swinging back
into the road.

"I think we'd better," she answered quietly. "I hope you haven't made
any mistake?"

"Why--no!" he stammered. "Why? What do you mean? Don't you think I'm
on the square? Well, I certainly am; I'm asking you to marry me!"

"Yes, but even then; have I given you any reason to think I'm so madly
infatuated? Of course I was foolish to come out with you this way, but
I assure you I'm no flighty girl."

"Oh, I didn't mean that!" protested Rimrock abjectly. "Say, now
listen, you don't understand." He stopped and panted as he fought down
his emotions and the automobile sped smoothly on. It was eight or ten
miles across the level desert and a few minutes would bring them into
town. "You don't know my ways," he went on bluffly, "but say, you
don't need to be afraid. Just slow down a little, I want to talk