would be so easy to
shoot him. No one would recognize Dick Lane in that crippled figure.
Jack's friends would believe him if he told them the stranger had drawn
on him, and he had to shoot him in self-defense.

Then the thought of how dastardly was the act of shooting a man in the
back, and he his trusting friend, smote him suddenly, and he replaced
the pistol in its holster. "It is worse than the murder of 'Ole Man'
Terrill," he muttered.

Dick walked on entirely unconscious of how close he had been to death,
with his friend as his murderer.

So interested had the two men been in their conversation, that neither
had noticed Buck McKee hiding behind the hedge, listening to their
talk, and covering Jack Payson, when he was following Dick with his
hand on his revolver. McKee heard Payson's ejaculation, and smiled
grimly.

Jack's absence had aroused Jim Allen, who hurried out on the porch,
storming. "Say, Jack, what do you mean by putting the brakes on this
yere weddin'?"

"Jim--say, Jim! I--want you to do something for me," cried Jack, as he
rushed toward his future father-in-law, greatly excited.

"Sure," answered Allen heartily.

"Stand here at this door during the ceremony, and no matter what
happens don't let any one in."

"But--" interrupted Allen.

"Don't ask me to explain," blurted Jack. "Echo's happiness is at stake."

"That settles it--I've not let any one spile her happiness yet, an' I
won't in the few minutes that are left while I'm still her main
protector. Nobody gets in."

"Remember--no one--no matter who it is," emphasized Jack, as he darted
into the house.

Jim Allen lighted his pipe. "Now, what's eatin' him?" he muttered to
himself. Then, "They're off!" he cried, looking through the window.

The Reverend Samuel Price began to drone the marriage-service.

It is the little things in life that count, after all. Men will work
themselves into hysteria over the buzzing of a fly, and yet plan a
battle-ship in a boiler-shop. A city full of people will at one time
become panic-stricken over the burning of a rubbish-heap, and at
another camp out in the ruins of fire-swept homes, treating their
miseries as a huge joke.

Philosophers write learnedly of cause and effect. In chemistry certain
combinations give certain results. But no man can say: "I will do thus
and so, this and that will follow." All things are possible, but few
things are probable.

Dick Lane had planned to shield