The Forfeit

ast hotels of six, eight, or even ten floors, and express elevators, and things of that sort. A cathedral was not unknown even, and electric surface cars. But

nd the provision for every other outdoor sport under its luxurious administration. Those who could afford such luxuries pretended to look upon these things as indispensab

ce-track existed, and, amongst its many other delights,

of rich grass through which a mountain creek wound its ridiculously tortuous course. Thus it

, for the use of many a pony whose normal days were spent roaming wild upon the plains. Then there was the Polo Club House and ground, where many of the city's social functions were

Club Races in Cattle Week would be to send in one's resignation from the exclusive social circles to which she

extensive party. There were some twenty and more saddles. Luncheon had been sent on ahead, catered for by Aston's Hotel at Jeffrey Masters' expense, one of t

the girls belonging to their little world. Nor among them could have be

on even for the most serious mind. She sat her brown mare astride with the easy grace of a born horsewoman. Her equipment lacked no detail in its comparison with that of the other women. Bud's warning on this

n Blooren. But in Nan's case it seemed to give not the smallest qualm. Her one single purpose seemed to be to obtain a maximu

e whole world about them was assuming that tawny green of the ripening season, and the trail was sufficiently dusty for its abandonment in favor of the borderi

gdale's desire to please was more than evident. And Nan was at no time difficult. Just now she see

t lay on anything but her good-looking escort. It was at a moment when Dugdale wa

milk to pea soup. Then there's 'Bill's Boneyard.' That wouldn't offend any one but my foreman. 'Busy Bee' kind of hands me a credit I don't guess I'm entitled to. But there's others smack of the intelligence of badly raised hogs." Then he laughed. "The truth is, when I first pitched camp on Lime Creek I wasn't as wise to things ranching as a Sunday-school committee. I lived mostly on beans an' bacon, and when the boys fell in at night, why, I don't gu

ine. Dugdale's ingenuous

itality," she said. "You surely

ull of preten

bout. Oh, I was put wise quick. But when you've got just about ten thousand dollars that's telling you you're all sorts of a fool, and you're yearning for 'em to believe you'

onvinced them?" Nan's e

uld find. But in the end I won. Oh, I won. I just told 'em right out what I thought of 'em, and their parents, and their ancestors, and their forthcoming progeny, and-that, seemed to fix things. They got civil then. Sort of raised their hats,

e feelings and thoughts she had striven so hard to bury where they could no longer offend. It seemed to the man that her eyes had grown unnecess

was with her gaze fixe

've got. And if you've got to go under, why, I guess it's best done with a smile, eh?" Qui

rn for anybody at that mome

u just foolish. I wa

ore

an la

nd I've won prizes for thought

on with a persistence which was q

s. Van Blooren?

e?" Then the man added

ng with Jef

er many times before." Then she added with a shadow of coldne

re following the

ot wise. They say her husband was a ran

ugh came

't guess he started r

huckled e

nd with elegant store wings, rounding up golden steers trimmed with fancy halos, and with jeweled eyes. Branding calves of silver with fla

ur taste's just-cheap

an Blo

sed from his father. Can't say who his father was. Folks guessed he was some millionaire. I don't just know the rights of it. Anyway, he left her well enough fixed. Gee! Fancy a feller acting that way-dying, with a wife like that. Wonder what sort of mush he kept in his thinking depot

no

rt, hurt beyond words, and though she could willingly have cried out she was forced to smother her feelings. The panic of the moment passed, however, and, with a great effort, she was able to give her suggestion its pr

ving spoiled her escort's ride. But the inclination was only the result of her depression. She eve

ssy horses. There were the brilliant colors of the jockey's silks. There was the babel of excited voices, the shouting as the horses rushed down the picturesque "straight." Then the betting. The lunching. The sun. The blessed sun and gracious woodland slopes shutting in this

nded Bud had to come to her assistance. Each time his comment was characteristic, and Nan laughed

out as easy as makin' ice-cream. Ther's jest one way of doing it. Ast yourself which hoss you're craziest to dope out your money

eflected her feeli

e to play in dollars. You never know when the tim

his advice the girl darted off with her hands

nning. She knew little enough of their claims. She had one thought in life. Anything to do with Jeff Masters, anything of his was good enough for her to gamble on-even with her life. This was the real, all unconscious Nan. It was not in her to give hal

elf, and, in the excitement of the moment, clasping h

rses have gone right out to the start now, and-

had known so long and loved so well. There was no other woman near to have provoked that smile. I

shion. "But you'll surely be crazy to back my plug with Tommy Clev

a glad buo

e'd outrun Sassafras if he kept his feet, but he'll never do it. He'll

ht of Nan losing her money on what he considered a foolis

you do it," he said pe

Jack Rabbit fo

W

n Bloore

y away uselessly. And Nan. Her eyes never wavered for an instant in their regard. Their warmth of expression remained. Yet it

shone like two superb brown diamonds as she forced

ry cent of it says Sassafras wins. Sassafras is your pony, Jeff, and I'd back him if he'd only three legs and a fence post." Then ju

with eyes that had lost their last gleam of sunshine. The mask she had set up before the man had completely falle

of the enclosure, crowding to witness the race. Nan seemed to have forgotten it. It was Bu

e crowd, and the old man's shrewd

" he demanded, in a

esponded with

ff's Sassafras, and-and I want him to win

track was in her view. She gazed out with eyes that were very near tears. She saw a vista of green and many figures moving beyond the track. She heard the hoarse cries of men, whose desires exceeded their veracity as they sh

resist it. The racing horses leaped into her view, and the disjointed shouts welded into one steady roar. Nan was caught in t

ith eyes blind to all but the indist

er ears r

ack Rabbit! A thousa

bb

new that Jack Rabbit had won. Then into her ears poured a babel of voices.

and she pushed her way toward him. She smiled bravely as she came up, but the pathos of it w

of tired, Dadd

ber board. Nan understood. She waited. Then it seemed a

safr

rill for the girl. In one wild mom

ras!" s

deep gray eyes be

little gal," he said. "An'

gh the crowd, and the warmth of his smile

mile. You surely have. Sassafras. My old Sassafras. Say, who'd 'a' thought it?" Nan's hand remained clasped in his, and she seemed to h

It was all sh

handed you all Daddy ga

dd

hund

s widened

And I bet it al

d," cried Jeff, stirred completely

-crazy," she declar

re full of a sympathy that h

ol waitin' around for him to pick up. Wal, guess ther's a heap o' fo