and kissed her
unresisting hand.

"The poem seems in a way to have been prophetic!" she remarked. "I must
run now or the doctor will scold me, or I shall be scolding you! I must
say one thing before we part. I've had time today to do a good deal of
thinking, and my opinion of myself isn't very high. Out of sheer
contrariness that night in Washington I teased you into doing things
that led you into grave danger--and the danger is still all about us.
I'm sorry; with all my heart I'm sorry! If anything should happen to
you, it would be my fault--my very grievous sin! And maybe there are
other men that I may have said similar things to--oh, you were not the
first!" she laughed forlornly. "They, too, may have plunged into the
same pit I dug for you. Oh, how foolish I've been!"

There was no questioning the sincerity of her dejection and contrition,
and he felt moved to tell her of Putney's confession in the park at
Chicago, that they might laugh together at the curious fling of fate
that had brought two of her victims together In deadly combat. But her
mood did not encourage the idea that she would view the matter in a
humorous light.

"I wish you could tell me truly," she went on, "that what I said that
night really didn't impress you; that it wasn't responsible for your
giving up your plans for going to the Rockies?"

"Honestly, I can't say anything of the kind! And if we hadn't had the
talk, and if you hadn't sent the verse, I shouldn't be here trying to
help you now."

"But it was flirting; it was the silliest kind of flirting!"

"That is always a legitimate form of entertainment, a woman's right and
privilege! Please put all this out of your mind!"

"It's not a thing to be dismissed so lightly. I'm very unhappy about it;
I'm deeply ashamed of myself!"

"You exaggerate the whole matter," he urged. "You are making me out a
miserable weakling indeed when you think I ambled off toward perdition
just because you dared me to assert myself a little!"

"I want you to promise," she said slowly, "that you won't in any way
interfere with my cousin here. I can't have you taking further risks.
After last night I doubt whether he bothers us. Ruth feels as I do about
it; you must go away. You will promise, please--"

"You would have us run just as the game grows interesting! Of course
we're not going to quit the field and leave that fellow here to annoy
you! He's a dangerous character and we're going to get rid of him."