ne to the bedroom, and standing between the portieres
that curtained the work-room from the shop, Marion in the half-light
listened, hesitating whether to ignore or to answer the midnight
intruder. But experience, and bitter experience, had taught her there
was only one way to meet that particular summons, and that was to act,
whether at noon or at midnight, without fear. She waited until the
knocking had been twice repeated, turned up the light, and going to
the door drew the bolt; Sinclair stood before her, and she drew back
for him to enter. "Dicksie Dunning is with me to-night," said Marion,
with her hand on the latch, "and we shall have to talk here."

Sinclair took off his hat. "I knew you had company," he returned in
the low, gentle tone that Marion knew very well, "so I came late. And
I heard to-night, for the first time, that this railroad crowd is
after me--God knows why; but they have to earn their salary somehow. I
want to keep out of trouble if I can. I won't kill anybody if they
don't force me to it. They've scared nearly all my men away from the
ranch already; one crippled-up cowboy is all I have got to help me
look after the cattle. But I won't quarrel with them, Marion, if I can
get away from here peaceably, so I've come to talk it over once more
with you. I'm going away and I want you to go with me; I've got enough
to keep us as well as the best of them and as long as we live. You've
given me a good lesson. I needed it, girlie----"

"Don't call me that!"

He laughed kindly. "Why, that's what it used to be; that's what I want
it to be again. I don't blame you. You're worth all the women I ever
knew, Marion. I've learned to appreciate some few things in the lonely
months I've spent up on the Frenchman; but I've felt while I was there
as if I were working for both of us. I've got a buyer in sight now for
the cattle and the land. I'm ready to clean up and say good-by to
trouble--all I want is for you to give me the one chance I've asked
for and go along."

They stood facing each other under the dim light. She listened
intently to every word, though in her terror she might not have heard
or understood all of them. One thing she did very clearly understand,
and that was why he had come and what he wanted. To that she held her
mind tenaciously, and for that she shaped her answer. "I cannot go
with you--now or ever."

He waited a moment. "We always got along, Marion, when I behaved
myself."

"I hope yo