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enā€™ then quick-like make a move for the door enā€™ open it.ā€

ā€œI will,ā€ said Jane, with heightened color. Lassiter was right; he never made mistakes; he would not have told her unless he positively knew. Yet Jane was so tenacious of faith that she had to see with her own eyes, and so constituted that to employ even such small deceit toward her women made her ashamed, and angry for her shame as well as theirs. Then a singular thought confronted her that made her hold up this simple ruseā€”which hurt her, though it was well justifiedā€”against the deceit she had wittingly and eagerly used toward Lassiter. The difference was staggering in its suggestion of that blindness of which he had accused her. Fairness and justice and mercy, that she had imagined were anchor-cables to hold fast her soul to righteousness had not been hers in the strange, biased duty that had so exalted and confounded her.

Presently Jane began to act her little part, to laugh and play with Fay, to talk of horses and cattle to Lassiter. Then she made deliberate mention of a book in which she kept records of all pertaining to her stock, and she walked slowly toward the table, and when near the door she suddenly whirled and thrust it open. Her sharp action nearly knocked down a woman who had undoubtedly been listening.

ā€œHester,ā€ said Jane, sternly, ā€œyou may go home, and you need not come back.ā€

Jane shut the door and returned to Lassiter. Standing unsteadily, she put her hand on his arm. She let him see that doubt had gone, and how this stab of disloyalty pained her.

ā€œSpies! My own women!... Oh, miserable!ā€ she cried, with flashing, tearful eyes.

ā€œI hate to tell you,ā€ he replied. By that she knew he had long spared her. ā€œItā€™s begun againā€”that work in the dark.ā€

ā€œNay, Lassiterā€”it never stopped!ā€

So bitter certainty claimed her at last, and trust fled Withersteen House and fled forever. The women who owed much to Jane Withersteen changed not in love for her, nor in devotion to their household work, but they poisoned both by a thousand acts of stealth and cunning and duplicity. Jane broke out once and caught them in strange, stone-faced, unhesitating falsehood. Thereafter she broke out no more. She forgave them because they were driven. Poor, fettered, and sealed Hagars, how she pitied them! What terrible thing bound them and locked their lips, when they showed neither consciousness of guilt toward their benefactress nor distress at the slow wearing apart of long-established and dear ties?

ā€œThe blindness again!ā€ cried Jane Withersteen. ā€œIn my sisters as in me!... O God!ā€

There came a time when no words passed between Jane and her women. Silently they went about their household duties, and secretly they went about the underhand work to which they had been bidden. The gloom of the house and the gloom of its mistress, which darkened even the bright spirit of little Fay, did not pervade these women. Happiness was not among them, but they were aloof from gloom. They spied and listened; they received and sent secret messengers; and they stole Janeā€™s books and records, and finally the papers that were deeds of her possessions. Through it all they were silent, rapt in a kind of trance. Then one by one, without leave or explanation or farewell, they left Withersteen House, and never returned.

Coincident with this disappearance Janeā€™s gardeners and workers in the alfalfa fields and stable men quit her, not even asking for their wages. Of all her Mormon employees about the great ranch only Jerd remained. He went on with his duty, but talked no more of the change than if it had never occurred.

ā€œJerd,ā€ said Jane, ā€œwhat stock you canā€™t take care of turn out in the sage. Let your first thought be for Black Star and Night. Keep them in perfect condition. Run them every day and watch them always.ā€

Though Jane Withersteen gave them such liberality, she loved her possessions. She loved the rich, green stretches of alfalfa, and the farms, and the grove, and the old stone house, and the beautiful, ever-faithful amber spring, and every one of a myriad of horses and colts and burros and fowls down to the smallest rabbit that nipped her vegetables; but she loved best her noble Arabian steeds. In common with all riders of the upland sage Jane cherished two material thingsā€”the cold, sweet, brown water that made life possible in the wilderness and the horses which were a part of that life. When Lassiter asked her what Lassiter would be without his guns he was assuming that his horse was part of himself. So Jane loved Black Star and Night because it was her nature to love all beautiful creaturesā€”perhaps all living things; and then she loved them because she herself was of the sage and in her had been born and bred the riderā€™s instinct to rely on his four-footed brother. And when Jane gave Jerd the order to keep her favorites trained down to the day it was a half-conscious admission that presaged a time when she would need her fleet horses.

Jane had now, however, no leisure to brood over the coils that were closing round her. Mrs. Larkin grew weaker as the August days began; she required constant care; there was little Fay to look after; and such household work as was imperative. Lassiter put Bells in the stable with the other racers, and directed his efforts to a closer attendance upon Jane. She welcomed the change. He was always at hand to help, and it was her fortune to learn that his boast of being awkward around women had its root in humility and was not true.

His great, brown hands were skilled in a multiplicity of ways which a woman might have envied. He shared Janeā€™s work, and was of especial help to her in nursing Mrs. Larkin. The woman suffered most at night, and this often broke Janeā€™s rest. So it came about that Lassiter would stay by Mrs. Larkin during the day, when she needed care, and Jane would make up the sleep she lost in night-watches. Mrs. Larkin at once took kindly to the gentle Lassiter, and, without ever asking who or what he was, praised him to Jane. ā€œHeā€™s a good man and loves children,ā€ she said. How sad to hear this truth spoken of a man whom Jane thought lost beyond all redemption! Yet ever and ever Lassiter towered above her, and behind or through his black, sinister figure shone something luminous that strangely affected Jane. Good and evil began to seem incomprehensibly blended in her judgment. It was her belief that evil could not come forth from good; yet here was a murderer who dwarfed in gentleness, patience, and love any man she had ever known.

She had almost lost track of her more outside concerns when early one morning Judkins presented himself before her in the courtyard.

Thin, hard, burnt, bearded, with the dust and sage thick on him, with his leather wrist-bands shining from use, and his boots worn through on the stirrup side, he looked the rider of riders. He wore two guns and carried a Winchester.

Jane greeted him with surprise and warmth, set meat and bread and drink before him; and called Lassiter out to see him. The men exchanged glances, and the meaning of Lassiterā€™s keen inquiry and Judkinsā€™s bold reply, both unspoken, was not lost upon Jane.

ā€œWhereā€™s your hoss?ā€ asked Lassiter, aloud.

ā€œLeft him down the slope,ā€ answered Judkins. ā€œI footed it in a ways, anā€™ slept last night in the sage. I went to the place you told me you ā€™most always slept, but didnā€™t strike you.ā€

ā€œI moved up some, near the spring, anā€™ now I go there nights.ā€

ā€œJudkinsā€”the white herd?ā€ queried Jane, hurriedly.

ā€œMiss Withersteen, I make proud to say Iā€™ve not lost a steer. Fer a good while after thet stampede Lassiter milled we hed no trouble. Why, even the sage dogs left us. But itā€™s begun aginā€”thet flashinā€™ of lights over ridge tips, anā€™ queer puffinā€™ of smoke, enā€™ then at night strange whistles enā€™ noises. But the herdā€™s acted magnificent. Anā€™ my boys, say, Miss Withersteen, theyā€™re only kids, but I ask no better riders. I got the laugh in the village fer takinā€™ them out. Theyā€™re a wild lot, anā€™ you know boys hev more nerve than grown men, because they donā€™t know what danger is. Iā€™m not denyinā€™ thereā€™s danger. But they glory in it, anā€™ mebbe I like it myselfā€”anyway, weā€™ll stick. Weā€™re goinā€™ to drive the herd on the far side of the first break of Deception Pass. Thereā€™s a great round valley over there, anā€™ no ridges or piles of rocks to aid these stampeders. The rains are due. Weā€™ll hev plenty of water fer a while. Anā€™ we can hold thet herd from anybody except Oldrinā€™. I come in fer supplies. Iā€™ll pack a couple of burros anā€™ drive out after dark to-night.ā€

ā€œJudkins, take what you want from the store-room. Lassiter will help you. Iā€”I canā€™t thank you enough... butā€”wait.ā€

Jane went to the room that had once been her fatherā€™s, and from a secret chamber in the thick stone wall she took a bag of gold, and, carrying it back to the court, she gave it to the rider.

ā€œThere, Judkins, and understand that I regard it as little for your loyalty. Give what is fair to your boys, and keep the rest. Hide it. Perhaps that would be wisest.ā€

ā€œOh... Miss Withersteen!ā€ ejaculated the rider. ā€œI couldnā€™t earn so much inā€”in ten years. Itā€™s not rightā€”I oughtnā€™t take it.ā€

ā€œJudkins, you know Iā€™m a rich woman. I tell you Iā€™ve few faithful friends. Iā€™ve fallen upon evil days. God only knows what will become of me and mine! So take the gold.ā€

She smiled in understanding of his speechless gratitude, and left him with Lassiter. Presently she heard him speaking low at first, then in louder accents emphasized by the thumping of his rifle on the stones. ā€œAs infernal a job as even you, Lassiter, ever heerd of.ā€

ā€œWhy, son,ā€ was Lassiterā€™s reply, ā€œthis breakinā€™ of Miss Withersteen may seem bad to you, but it ainā€™t badā€”yet. Some of these wall-eyed fellers who look jest as if they was walkinā€™ in the shadow of Christ himself, right down the sunny road, now they can think of things enā€™ do things that are really hell-bent.ā€

Jane covered her ears and ran to her own room, and there like caged lioness she paced to and fro till the coming of little Fay reversed her dark thoughts.

The following day, a warm and muggy one threatening rain awhile Jane was resting in the court, a horseman clattered through the grove and up to the hitching-rack. He leaped off and approached Jane with the manner of a man determined to execute difficult mission, yet fearful of its reception. In the gaunt, wiry figure and the lean, brown face Jane recognized one of her Mormon riders, Blake. It was he of whom Judkins had long since spoken. Of all the riders ever in her employ Blake owed her the most, and as he stepped before her, removing his hat and making manly efforts to subdue his emotion, he showed that he remembered.

ā€œMiss Withersteen, motherā€™s dead,ā€ he said.

ā€œOhā€”Blake!ā€ exclaimed Jane, and she could say no more.

ā€œShe died free from pain in the end, and sheā€™s buriedā€”resting at last, thank God!... Iā€™ve come to ride for you again, if youā€™ll have me. Donā€™t think I mentioned mother to get your sympathy. When she was living and your riders quit, I had to also. I was afraid of what might be doneā€”said to her.... Miss Withersteen, we canā€™t talk ofā€”of whatā€™s going on nowā€”ā€

ā€œBlake, do you know?ā€

ā€œI know a great deal. You understand, my lips are shut. But without explanation or excuse I offer my services. Iā€™m a Mormonā€”I hope a good one. Butā€”there are some things!... Itā€™s no use, Miss Withersteen, I canā€™t say any moreā€”what Iā€™d like to. But will you take me back?ā€

ā€œBlake!... You know what it means?ā€

ā€œI donā€™t care. Iā€™m sick ofā€”ofā€”Iā€™ll show you a Mormon whoā€™ll be true to you!ā€

ā€œBut, Blakeā€”how terribly you might suffer for that!ā€

ā€œMaybe. Arenā€™t you suffering now?ā€

ā€œGod knows indeed I am!ā€

ā€œMiss Withersteen, itā€™s a liberty on my part to speak so, but I know you pretty wellā€”know youā€™ll never give in. I wouldnā€™t if I were you. And Iā€”I mustā€”Something makes me tell you the worst is yet to come. Thatā€™s all. I absolutely canā€™t say more. Will you take me backā€”let me ride for youā€”show everybody what I mean?ā€

ā€œBlake, it makes me happy to hear you. How my riders hurt me when they quit!ā€ Jane felt the hot tears well to her eyes and splash down upon her hands. ā€œI thought so much of themā€”tried so hard to be good to them. And not one was true.

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