life and
motion and oddity than by its beauty. She looked at her companion in a
peculiar way--trustfully, almost reverently--and yet with a touch of
coquetry which seemed perfectly native to every turn of her body or
glance of her eyes.

Her companion was a fine Western type of self-made man. He was tall and
broad-shouldered, but walked a little stooping, like a man of fifty. He
wore a long Prince Albert frock-coat, hanging loosely from his rather
square shoulders. His white vest was noticeably soiled by his watch
chain, and his tie was disarranged.

His face was very fine and good. His eyes were gray-blue, deep and
quiet, but slightly smiling, as were his lips, which his golden-brown
mustache shaded but did not hide. He was kept smiling in this quizzical
way by the nervous chatter of the girl beside him. His profile, which
was the view Allen had of him, was striking. His strong, straight nose
and abrupt forehead formed a marked contrast to the rather characterless
nose and retreating forehead of the girl.

The first words that Allen distinguished out of the merry war in which
they seemed engaged were spoken in the tone of pretty petulance such
women use--a coquette's defence.

"You did! you did! you _did_! _Now_! You know you did! You told me
that! You told me you despised girls like me!"

"I said I despised women who had no object in life but dress," he
replied, rather soberly.

"But you were hopping on me; you meant me, now! You can't deny it! You
despise me, I know you do!" She challenged his flattery in her pouting
self-depreciation.

The young man tried to stop her in her course, to change her mood, which
was descending to real feeling. His low words were lost in the rumble of
the car.

"Yes, yes, try to smooth it over; but you can't fool me any more. But I
don't want you to flatter me and lie to me the way Judge Stearns did,"
she added, with a sudden change of manner. "I like you because you're
straight."

The phrase with which she ended seemed to take on a new meaning, uttered
by those red lips in childish pout.

"Now, why are you down on the judge? I don't see," said the man, as if
she had gone back to an old attack.

"Well, if you'd seen what I have, you'd understand." She turned away and
looked out of the window. "Oh, this terrible country! I'd die out here
in six weeks. I know I should."

The young lawyer was not to be turned aside.

"Of course, I'm pleased to have you throw the judge over