ke of a 'vorce
er a weddin' dress. No, indeed, not me!"

Parson Rasba looked at her, and Nelia, her eyes twinkling, looked at the
Parson. Nelia could understand the feelings in all their minds. She had
her own viewpoint, too, which was exceedingly different from those of
the others. The strain of weeks of questioning, weeks of mental
suffering, was relieved by the river woman's serious statement and
Parson Rasba's look of bewilderment at the kaleidoscopic matrimonial
adventuring. At the same time, his wonder and Mrs. Caope's unconscious
statement stirred up in her thoughts a new questioning.

When Nelia returned on board her boat, and sat in its cabin, a freed
woman, she very calmly reckoned up the advantages of Mrs. Caope's
standards. Then seeing that it was after midnight, and that only the
stars shone in that narrow, wooded chute, she felt she wanted to go out
into the wide river again, to go where she was not shut in. She cast off
her lines and noiselessly floated out and down the slow current.

She saw Parson Rasba's boat move out into the current behind her and
drift along in the soft, autumn night. Her first thought was one of
indignation, but when a little later they emerged into the broad river
current and she felt the solitude of the interminable surface, her mood
changed.

What the big, quizzical mountain parson had in mind she did not know. It
was possible that he was a very bad man, indeed. She could not help but
laugh under her breath at his bewilderment regarding Mrs. Caope, which
she felt was a genuine expression of his real feelings. At the same
time, whatever his motive in following her, whether it was to protect
her--which she could almost believe--or to court her, which was not at
all unlikely, or whether he had a baser design, she did not know, but
she felt neither worry nor fear.

"I don't care," she shook her head, defiantly, "I like him!"

CHAPTER XIV

Carline recovered his equilibrium after a time. His nerves, long on the
ragged edge, had given way, and he was ashamed of his display of
emotion.

"Seems as though some things are about all a man can stand," he said to
Terabon, the newspaper man. "You know how it is!"

"Oh, yes! I've had my troubles, too," Terabon admitted.

"It isn't fair!" Carline exclaimed. "Why can't a man enjoy himself and
have a good time, and not--and not----"

"Have a headache the next day?" Terabon finished the sentence with a
grave face.

"That's i