Good Indian

ing up behind her, who happened to be Gene. He stopped to light a match upon the gate and put his cigarette to work before he answered

ething that happened last night, and he didn't seem to have any talk

hristmas-angel expression; and her tone was t

ruth when she would believe a falsehood just as readily; but, since the

bout. Good Injun went after it with a gun, and I guess they mixed, all right, and he got the

tell me-did you

grove last night. Ask him what he HEARD." He moved closer, and laid his hand impressively upo

adna freed herself as unobtrusively as p

e that for yourself. He said he couldn't be hired to spend another night here. He thinks

t he tell you what he-that is, if he

ene complained sincerely. "He said there was

t stories, only I never would DARE leave the house after dark if there are funny noises and things, rea

mile of ignorant innocence

re it was, won't you, Gene? You don't suppose it would walk in the grove in the daytime, do you? Because I'm awfully fond of

wholly absorbed in staring after her and wonder

ack was giving those last, tentative twitches and pats which prove whether a saddle is properly set and cinched; and she would not say what it was that amused her. All the way up the grade, she smiled

her errand had been a post-office money order. Jack was already on the ground when she made known her decision; and she left him in the middle of his expostulations and rode on t

de up here alone-it might save you a walk back. And say," he added, with a return of his good-natured grin, "it looks like you and Good Injun didn't get acquainted

, and left him with the smile which he had come to regard wi

ssed by hastily, her eyes upon them watchfully until she was well upon the platform and was bei

er inside and pushing her into a beribboned wicker rocker. "I was just getting desperate enough to haul in those squaws out there and see if I could

began primly. "I only came for a mo

d. "The express agent is out. You can't get your order till we've had a go

the express agent.

d self-respect, I refuse to be more than one of them at a time. When I sell a ticket to Shoshone, I'm the ticket agent, and no

icial right now. I'm a neighbor, and this is my parlor-you see, I planted you on that rug, with the books at your elbow, and that geranium also; and you're in the rocker, so you're really

hen she leaned her head against the cherry-colored head-rest tied to the cha

which piqued her curiosity. Over it was a railroad map and a makeshift bulletin board, which seemed to give the time of certain trains. And small-paned windows gave one sitting before the instruments

in the end of the room where she sat were various little adornments-"art" calendars, a few books, fewer potted plants, a sewing-bask

in self-defense. Otherwise-" She waved a hand conspicuous for its white plumpness and its fingers tapering beautifully to little, pink nails immaculately kept. "I took a

na ventured, "i

I've a certain duty to perform, if you will excuse my absence for a moment. Incidentally,"

e "express office," and took a card from the desk. When she had stood i

LL BE BA

t desk and to the telegraph table, and put similar cards on display. Then she came back to the rug, plumped down in her

ke, gossip a little! Tell me all about that bunch of nifty lads I see cavorting around the store occasionally-and especially about the polysyllabic gentleman who seems to h

, with the other hand, turned down the "out" card. Then she threw the switch, rattled an impatient reply

key in answer. She slammed the current off, set up the "out" notice again, kicked

Evadna, eying the chittering sounder with something approaching awe. "I watched your

to the devil.'" She held up the offending hand and regarded it intently. "You wouldn't think it of them, would you? But they have to say things somet

rying to square himself," she observed carelessly. "But, unfor

chocolates, and finally selected a d

wouldn't forget it," she explained parenthetically. "He said to Pete, in the store, just after Pete had tried to say something funny with the usual lamentable failure-um-'You are mentally incapable of recognizing the line of demarcation between legitimate persiflage

help herself to more chocolates. "He-well, just to sho

be repeating something over and over with a good deal of insistence. "That's Shoshone calling," she said, frowning attentively. "They've got an old crank up there in the office-I'd know his touch among a million-and when he cal

ering over the wire. When it was finished and the sounder quiet, her hand awoke to life upon the key. She seemed to be repeating the message, word for word. When she was done, she listened, got her answer, threw off the switch with a sw

have just life enough to put in about ten hours a day reading 'The Duchess,' getting cipher messages like the hero of a detective story. And sending them, too, by the way. We operators are not supposed to think; but all the same-" Sh

pied air which lasted until she had disposed of th

uncle and his affairs?" And added immediately: "The chances are ten

ely," Evadna asserted warm

hatically monosyllabic. I said sixteen nice things to him while I was waiting for Pete to wake up Saunders; and he answered in words of one syllable; one word, of one syllable. I'm beginning to fee

He's brutal, and rude. He told me-told me, mind you-that he doesn't like women. He actually warned me against thinking his politeness-if he ever is polite, which I doubt-

gized, and vowed eternal devotion," smiled

ly want nothing to do with him. I

od-looking," mus

an Indian. He ought to wea

rticularly, because I admire a man who's a man. He's one. He'd fight and never give up, once he started. And I think"-she spoke hesitatingly-"I think he'd love-and

om. He pulled off his black, slouched hat and tucked it under his arm, smoothed his lank, black hair, ran

especial emphasis or inflection. "If you ain't too busy, and could send

repulsive creature whose touch would send her shuddering, and glanced at the message. "Write it on the regular form," she said, and pushed a pad and pencil toward him. "I have to

ter she had counted the words twice.

ittle sounds, waited a moment while the sounder spoke, paused, and then began a

openly for him to go. Which he did, after a sly glance at Evadna, a licking of pale l

the track again, turned to the table, and restlessly arranged the form pads, sticking the message upon the file. She said somet

he mean-sending twenty-word messages that don't make sense when you read them over, and getting others that are just a lot of words jumbled together, hit or miss? I wish-only it

detective," Ev

as been murdered, or robbed, or kidnapped that I ever heard of. Pete Hamilton says not. And-I wonder, now, if Saunders could be watching somebody! Wouldn't

guessed shrewdly, "but it

to swear to that. I never could catch it when it looked swept-and brings the mail sack over here twice a day, and gets one to take back. And rea

ind out?" Plainly, Evadna was secretly laugh

Charlie Green is coming up to relieve me. And-couldn't we do something?" She glanced wearily around the little office. "Honest, I'd go cra

boys said they'd take me fishing-but they only propose things so they can play jokes on me, it seems to me. Th

about it to drive me crazy with the desire to see it. Your Aunt Phoebe I've met, and fallen in love with-that's a matter of course. She told me to visit her ju

ineer, and rushed out again. When the train grumbled away from the platform and went its way, it left man standing there, a fish-basket slung from one shoulder, a tr

he called unctuously

er her lashes, and her shoulders indulged t

coolly, and very, very gently pushed the door