y was thoroughly provoked at the treatment shown him--he was
hurt at the plain lack of faith. Again, he considered what course to
pursue. Granted the family knew all he could tell them, what would be
gained by forcing the fact of his knowledge upon them? Nothing--unless
it were more suspicion against himself. And if they were in
ignorance--well, it was better than premature care. As before, he
decided to remain silent and depend upon the pilot.

He glanced at Marylyn. On her father's departure, she had moved out of
the shadow. Now, she was sitting bolt upright, with fingers touching the
bench at either side. Her lips were half parted. She was watching
Lounsbury wonderingly.

The moment their eyes met, her own fell. She reached to the mantel for a
beaded belt, and began work upon it precipitately.

"What is the prairie princess doing?" he asked.

"Making something." She held the belt by one hand to let it slip through
the other.

He reached for it. "My! it's pretty! Wish you'd make me a watch-fob like
that."

She flushed and dimpled. "I'd like to," she said.

"I'll wear it as an amulet." He gave her back the belt, and their hands
touched.

She started nervously.

"Why, Miss Marylyn!" he said gently. "You afraid of me?"

"No." It was whispered.

"Well, you mustn't be." His tone was one that might have been used to a
child. "Since I rode here a month ago, I've thought of you folks a lot.
I'd like to do a real good turn for you. Perhaps it's because you girls
seem so lonely----"

"We're not lonely," she declared. "The Fort's near, and we can hear the
band. And pa says there'll be three or four steamers go by next summer."

The storekeeper mentally kicked himself. "The idea of suggesting a thing
like that," he growled inwardly, "when she hadn't even thought of it!
John Lounsbury, you've got about as much sense as a fool mud-hen."

"And," went on Marylyn, "there's the ladies at Fort Brannon. If pa----"
She hesitated.

Lounsbury shook his head, smiling. "Well, I wouldn't count on _them_, if
I were you," he advised, remembering certain experiences of Bismarck
belles. "Those women over there are as clannish as crows."

"Yes?" plaintively. She went at her beads again.

"As I was saying," he began once more, "I've thought of you folks a lot.
Seemed as if I just had to come down to-day. And I brought you
something. See here!" He delved into the side pockets of his coat and
pulled out two books.

"O-o-oh!" br