, and pulled her across the room, in spite of her
resistance.

"Listen to me, you sneak!" he adjured Crowley. "This young lady and I
are engaged to be married."

"Hush!" she cried, in mingled fright and fury. "You promised----It
isn't----"

"I made no promise except to go north because you have asked me to go.
I'm going back to my job, and I'll have the Flagg logs down if I have to
smash the bottom out of the river," he boasted, in his new pride.
"Crowley--as I believe your name is--you have heard me announce the
engagement. If you give this young lady another twisted look or crooked
word while I'm away, may God have mercy on your soul!"

He was talking to the one man who ought to hear that news, so the lover
felt, but his voice was raised in his emotion and Brophy and the
loungers in the office heard, too.

Latisan kissed her once, swiftly and rapturously.

According to the code of social procedure in Adonia, as the office
onlookers viewed the matter of congratulation, the occasion called for
three cheers; they were proposed and given and even Brophy joined, but
with sour grace.

She had endeavored ineffectually to check Latisan's outburst,
understanding fully the interlocking perils involved in the promulgation
to Crowley that the drive master was going back to his work. It had
become her own personal, vital affair, this thing! She was far from
admitting even then that love was urging her to the promise she had
made so precipitately. The wild spirit of sacrifice had surged in her.
She was able to pay--to redeem! It was all for the sake of the family!
But this love-cracked idiot, babbling his triumph, had thrown wide the
gate of caution--had exposed all to the enemy; she feared Crowley in his
surly, new mood!

Poor Ward turned to her a radiant, humid stare of devotion; she
responded by flashing fury at him from her eyes. Her cheeks were
crimson. "Haven't you any wit in you?" she raged, holding her tones in
leash with effort, her convulsed face close to his amazed countenance.

"It was to put you right----" he stammered.

"It has made everything all wrong!"

Men had come into the room. She hurried away from the dumfounded lover.

While she went about her work, sedulously keeping her gaze from Latisan,
she heard the men jocosely canvassing the matter. They called to the
drive master, giving him clumsy congratulation. There were timber
cruisers who were going into the north country; they declared with
hila