t the woman shook her head.

"Not so well informed as I could wish," she said. Then she laughed as
her merry sister might have laughed, and the policeman wanted to join
in it by reason of its very infection. "There's a whole heap of things
I'd like to know. I'd like to know why a government of the people
makes a law nobody wants, and spends the public's money in enforcing
it. Also I'd like to know why they take a vicious delight in striving
to make criminals of honest enough people in the process. Also I'd
like to know how your people intend to trip up certain people for a
crime which they have never committed, and don't intend to commit,
and, anyway, before they can be punished must be caught red-handed.
You've got your problems sure enough, and--and these are some of the
simplest of mine. Oh, dear--it almost makes my head whirl when I think
of them. But I must do so, because," her smile died out, and the man
watched the sudden determined setting of her lips, "I'm against you as
long as you are--against him. Good-bye. I must get my mail."

* * * * *

It was a long circuitous route which took Stanley Fyles back to his
camp. But it seemed short enough on the back of the faithful,
fleet-footed Peter. Then, too, the man's thoughts were more than
merely pleasant. Satisfaction that his news was awaiting him at the
camp left him free to indulge in the happy memory of his brief passage
of arms with Kate Seton.

What a staunch creature she was! He wondered if the day would ever
come when she would exercise the same loyalty and staunchness on his
behalf. To him it seemed an extraordinary, womanish perversity that
made her cling to a poor creature so obviously a wrongdoer. Was she
truly blind to his doings, or was she merely blinding herself to them?
She was not in love with Charlie Bryant, he felt sure. Her avowal of
regard had been too open and sincere to have been of any other nature
than the one she had claimed for it. Yes, he could understand that
attitude in her. Anything he had ever seen of her pointed the big
woman nature in her. She felt herself strong, and, like other strong
people, it was a passion with her to help the weak and erring.

Fyles's knowledge of women was slight enough, but he had that keen
observation which told him many things instinctively. And all the best
and truest that was in him had been turned upon this woman from the
very first time he had seen her.

He told h