ng me fairly
desperate with shame, grief, and, I'm afraid, with anger. I felt
at once guilty and yet wronged. I knew my conduct on the trail
must have seemed to her ungentlemanly because I had never dared
to explain that my action there had been a pure bluff, and that I
wouldn't have really searched her for--well, for anything; but
though she might think badly of me for that, yet I had done my
best to counterbalance it, and was running big risks, both
present and eventual, for Madge's sake. Yet here she was
acknowledging that thus far she had used me as a puppet, while
all the time disliking me. It was a terrible blow, made all the
harder by the fact that she was proving herself such a different
girl from the one I loved,--so different, in fact, that, despite
what I had heard, I couldn't quite believe it of her, and found
myself seeking to extenuate and even justify her conduct. While I
was doing this, they came within hearing, and Lord Ralles was
speaking.

"--with you," he said. "But I still do not see what I can do,
however much I may wish to serve you."

"Can't you go to him and insist that he--or tell him what I
really feel towards him--or anything, in fact, to shame him? I
really can't go on acting longer."

That reached the limit of my endurance, and I crawled from my
burrow, intending to get out from under that platform, whether I
was caught or not. I know it was a foolish move; after having
heard what I had, a little more or less was quite immaterial. But
I entirely forgot my danger, in the sting of what Madge had said,
and my one thought was to stand face to face with her long enough
to--I'm sure I don't know what I intended to say.

Just as I reached the plank, however, I heard Lord Ralles ask,--

"Who's that?"

"It's me," said a voice,--"the station agent." Then I heard a
door close. Some one walked out to the centre of the platform and
remarked,--

"That 'ere way freight is late."

At least the letters were recovered.

CHAPTER XV

THE SURRENDER OF THE LETTERS

If the letters were safe, that was a good deal more than I
was. The moment the station-master had made his agreed-upon
announcement, he said to the walkers,--

"Had any news of Mr. Gordon?"

"No," replied Lord Ralles. "And, as the lights keep moving in the
town, they must still be hunting for him."

"I reckon they'll do considerable more huntin' before they find
him up there," chuckled the man, with a self-important manne