word. Go down
to that railroad station and wire to an address I'll give you in New
York. Ask her if she dares to have you do it."

There was no longer a smolder in Latisan--it was all a red flame!

He had not realized till then how penetratingly deep had been his
conviction that this girl was something other than she assumed to be.

Crowley pulled a letter from his pocket, flapped it open, and shoved it
under Latisan's nose.

There was no further attempt to deal behind doors with the affair. It
was in Crowley's mind, then, that spreading the situation wide open
before the gaping throng, which was increasing, crowding about in a
narrowing circle, would assist his plan to make intolerable Latisan's
stay in that region.

"Look at the letterhead--Vose-Mern Agency! Look and you'll see that it's
addressed to Miss Patsy Jones, Adonia. Take it and read it! It's orders
to her from the chief!"

Latisan was plainly in no state of mind to read; he crumpled the letter
in his hand and stuffed the paper into his trousers pocket.

"Here's a telegram," continued the operative. "It's for her to go back
to New York. It hasn't been enough for her to double-cross you; she's
doing the same thing to the folks who have hired her. Nice kind of dame,
eh? I don't know just what her game is, friend! But I'm coming across to
you and tell you that the big idea is to keep you off the drive this
season. Good money has been put up to turn the trick."

In the midst of the whirling torches which made up his thoughts just
then, Latisan was not able to give sane consideration to her zeal in
urging him to duty; he was conscious only of the revelation of her
character. Out of the city had come some kind of a design to undo him!

The village was still agog with the news of his engagement; the news
bureaus on legs had gone north to tattle the thing among all the camps;
and she was a detective sent to beguile him! The faces of the bystanders
were creasing into grins.

"Ask her!" urged Crowley, relentlessly. "Or ask New York."

Postponement of the truth was futile; denial was dangerous; a confession
forced by an appeal to New York would discredit her motives; she had not
formally severed her connection with the agency. She determined to meet
this man of the woods on his own plane of honesty.

"Come with me where we can talk privately," she urged; her demeanor told
Latisan that she was not able to back the defiant stand he had taken
with Crowley a m