ring blaze rewarded her; she took
off her slicker to enjoy the warmth, and in doing so, turned, and saw
the owner of the place standing with folded arms just inside the door.

"Making yourself to home?" asked the host, in a low, strangely pleasant
voice.

"Do you mind?" asked Mary Brown. "I couldn't find a place that would
do for camping."

And she summoned her most winning smile. It was wasted, she knew at
once, for the stranger hardened perceptibly, and his lip curled
slightly in scorn or anger. In all her life Mary had never met a man
so obdurate, and, moreover, she felt that he could not be wooed into a
good humor.

"If you'd gone farther up the gorge," said the other, "you'd of found
the best sort of a campin' place--water and everything."

"Then I'll go," said Mary, shrinking at the thought of the strange,
cold outdoors compared with this cheery fire. But she put on the
slicker and started for the door.

At the last moment the host was touched with compunction. He called:
"Wait a minute. There ain't no call to hurry. If you can get along
here just stick around."

For a moment Mary hesitated, knowing that only the unwritten law of
Western hospitality compelled that speech; it was the crackle and flare
of the bright fire which overcame her pride.

She laid off the slicker again, saying, with another smile: "For just a
few minutes, if you don't mind."

"Sure," said the other gracelessly, and tossed his own slicker onto a
bunk.

Covertly, but very earnestly, Mary was studying him. He was hardly
more than a boy--handsome, slender.

Now that handsome face was under a cloud of gloom, a frown on the
forehead and a sneer on the lips, but it was something more than the
expression which repelled Mary. For she felt that no matter how she
wooed him, she could never win the sympathy of this darkly handsome,
cruel youth; he was aloof from her, and the distance between them could
never be crossed. She knew at once that the mysterious bridges which
link men with women broke down in this case, and she was strongly
tempted to leave the cabin to the sole possession of her surly host.

It was the warmth of the fire which once more decided against her
reason, so she laid hands on one of the blocks of stone to roll it
nearer to the hearth. She could not budge it. Then she caught the
sneering laughter of the man, and strove again in a fury. It was no
use; for the stone merely rocked a little and settled back