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little by little. Anā€™ one day, why, the cabin was full of sunshine!... Since then Iā€™ve seen how sheā€™s growed anā€™ brightened. Workinā€™, runninā€™ after meā€”anā€™ always watchinā€™ fer you. Allieā€™s changed to what she is now. Onct, fur back, I recollect she said she had you to live fer. Mebbe thetā€™s the secret. Anyhow, she loves you as I never seen any man loved.... Anā€™, son, I reckon you oughter be somewhars near the kingdom of heaven!ā€

Neale stole off by himself and walked in the twilight. The air was warm and sultry, full of fragrance and the low chirp of crickets. Within his breast was a full uneasy sensation of imminent catastrophe. Something was rising in himā€”greatā€”terribleā€”precious. It bewildered him to try to think of himself, of his strange emotions, when his mind seemed to hold only Allie.

What then had happened? After a long absence up in the mountains he had returned to Slingerlandā€™s valley home, and to the little girl he had rescued and left there. He had left her frail, sick-minded, silent, somber, a pale victim to a horrible memory. He had found her an amazing contrast to what she had been in the past. She had grown strong, active, swift. She was as lovely as a wild rose. No dream of his idle fancy, but a fact! Then lastā€”stirring him even as he tried to clarify and arrange this magic, this mysteryā€”had come the unbelievable, the momentous and dazzling assurance that she loved him. It was so plain that it seemed unreal. While near her he saw it, yet could not believe his eyes; he felt it, but doubted his sensibilities. But now, away from the distraction of her presence and with Slingerlandā€™s eloquent words ringing in his ears, he realized the truth. Love of him had saved the girlā€™s mind and had made her beautiful and wonderful. He had heard of the infinite transforming power of love; here in Allie Lee was its manifestation. Whether or not he deserved such a blessing was not the question. It was his, and he felt unutterably grateful and swore he would be worthy of this great gift.

Darkness had set in when Neale returned to the cabin, the interior of which was lighted by blazing sticks in a huge stone fireplace.

Slingerland was in the shadow, busy as usual, but laughing at some sally of Larryā€™s. The cowboy and Allie, however, were in plain sight. Neale needed only one look at Larry to divine what had come over that young man. Allie appeared perplexed.

ā€œHe objects to my calling him Mr. King and even Larry,ā€ she said.

Larry suddenly looked sheepish.

ā€œAllie, this cowboy is a bad fellow with guns, ropes, horsesā€”and I suspect with girls,ā€ replied Neale, severely.

ā€œNeale, he doesnā€™t look bad,ā€ she rejoined. ā€œYouā€™re fooling me.... He wants me to call him Reddy.ā€

ā€œAhuh!ā€ grunted Neale. He laughed grimly at himself, for again he had felt a pang of jealousy. He knew what to expect from Larry or any other young man who ever had the wonderful good luck to get near Allie Lee. ā€œAll right, call him Reddy,ā€ he went on. ā€œI guess I can allow my future wife so much familiarity with my pard.ā€

This confused Allie out of her sweet gravity, and she blushed.

ā€œShore youā€™re mighty kind,ā€ drawled Larry, recovering. ā€œMore ā€˜n I reckoned on from a fellar whoā€™s shore lost his haid.ā€

ā€œIā€™ve lost more ā€˜n that,ā€ retorted Neale, ā€œand Iā€™m afraid a certain wild young cowboy I know has lost as much.ā€

ā€œWal, I reckon somethinā€™ abbot this heah place of Slingerlandā€™s draws on a fellar,ā€ admitted Larry, resignedly.

Allie did not long stay embarrassed by their sallies.

ā€œNeale, tell meā€”ā€

ā€œSee heah, Allie, if you call me Reddy anā€™ him only Nealeā€”why heā€™s a-goinā€™ to pitch into me,ā€ interrupted Larry, with twinkling eyes. ā€œAnā€™ heā€™s shore a bad customer when heā€™s rā€™iled.ā€

ā€œOnly Neale? What does he mean?ā€ inquired Allie.

ā€œBeyond human conjecture,ā€ replied Neale, laughing.

ā€œWal, donā€™t you know his front name?ā€ asked Larry.

ā€œNeale. I call him that,ā€ she replied.

ā€œHaw! Haw! But it ainā€™t thet.ā€

ā€œAllie, my name is Warren,ā€ said Neale. ā€œYouā€™ve forgotten.ā€

ā€œOh!... Well, itā€™s always been Nealeā€”and always will be.ā€

Larry rose and stretched his long arms for the pipe on the rude stone chimney.

ā€œSlingerland,ā€ he drawled, ā€œthese heah young people need to find out who they are. Anā€™ I reckon weā€™d do wal to go out anā€™ smoke anā€™ talk.ā€

The trapper came forth from the shadows, and as he filled his pipe his keen, bright gaze shifted from the task to his friends.

ā€œItā€™s good to see you anā€™ hyar you,ā€ he said. ā€œI was a youngster once I missedā€”but thetā€™s no matter.... Live while you may!... Larry, come with me. Iā€™ve got a trap to set yit.ā€

Allie flashed a glance at them.

ā€œItā€™s not so. You never set traps after dark.ā€

ā€œWal, child, any excuse is better ā€˜n none. Neale wouldnā€™t never git to hyar you say all thet sweet talk as is cominā€™ to himā€”if two old fools hung round.ā€

ā€œSlingerland, Iā€™ve throwed a gun for less ā€˜n thet,ā€ drawled Larry. ā€œAboot the fool part I ainā€™t shore, but I was twenty-five yesterdayā€”anā€™ Iā€™m sixteen to-day.ā€

They lit their pipes with red embers scraped from the fire, and with wise nods at Neale and Allie passed out into the dark.

Allieā€™s eyes were upon Neale, with shy, eloquent intent, and directly the others had departed she changed her seat to one close to Neale; she nestled against his shoulder, her face to the fire.

ā€œThey thought we wanted to make love, didnā€™t they?ā€ she said, dreamily.

ā€œI guess they did,ā€ replied Neale.

He was intensely fascinated. Did she want him to make love to her? A look at her face was enough to rebuke him for the thought. The shadows from the flickering fire played over her.

ā€œTell me all about yourself,ā€ she said. ā€œThen about your work.ā€

Neale told all that he thought would interest her about his youth in the East with a widowed mother, the home that was broken up after she died, and his working his way through a course of civil engineering.

ā€œI was twenty when I first read about this U. P. railroad project,ā€ he went on. ā€œThat was more than three years ago. It decided me on my career. I determined to be an engineer and be in the building of the road. No one had any faith in the railroad. I used to be laughed at. But I stuck. Andā€”well, I had to steal some rides to get as far west as Omaha.

ā€œThat was more than a year ago. I stayed thereā€”waiting. Nothing was sure, except that the town grew like a mushroom. It filled with soldiersā€”and the worst crowd I ever

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