was dreading their separation. How
could it be? Such things were not real. People always laughed at sudden
love affairs as if they were impossible, but her heart told her that it
was not merely hours by which they numbered their acquaintance. The soul
of this man had been revealed to her in that brief space of time as
another's might not have been in years. She dreaded the ending of this
companionship. It would be the end, of course. He had said it, and she
knew his words were true. His world was not her world, more the pity! He
would never give up his world, and he had said she was unfitted for his.
It was all too true--this world of rough, uncouth strangers, and wild
emptiness of beauty. But how she longed to have this day with him beside
her prolonged indefinitely!

The vision would fade of course when she got back into the world again,
and things would assume their normal proportions very likely. But just
now she admitted to herself that she did not want to get back. She would
be entirely content if she might wander thus with him in the desert for
the rest of her natural life.

He came back to her presently accompanied by an Indian boy carrying an
iron pot and some fresh mutton. Hazel watched them as they built a fire,
arranged the pot full of water to boil, and placed the meat to roast.
The missionary was making corn cake which presently was baking in the
ashes, and giving forth a savoury odour.

An Indian squaw appeared in the doorway of one of the hogans, her baby
strapped to her back, and watched her with great round wondering eyes.
Hazel smiled at the little papoose, and it soon dimpled into an
answering smile. Then she discovered that the missionary was watching
them both, his heart in his eyes, a strange wonderful joy in his face,
and her heart-beats quickened. She was pleasing him! It was then as she
smiled back at the child of the forest that she discovered an interest
of her own in these neglected people of his. She could not know that the
little dark-skinned baby whom she had noticed would from this time forth
become the special tender object of care from the missionary, just
because she had noticed it.

They had a merry meal, though not so intimate as the others had been;
for a group of Indian women and children huddled outside the nearest
hogan watching their every move with wide staring eyes, and stolid but
interested countenances; and the little boy hovered not far away to
bring anything they mig