The Man Thou Gavest

ply and, alone in his cabin, brought himself to terms. By a rigid arraignment he relegated, or thought he had relegated, the whole matter to the r

assist him, but Nella-Rose persistently and impishly got between his eyes and the

He reconstructed his plot somewhat-he let Nella-Rose in! Curbed and somewhat re-mo

cted to lock himself in until White returned to chaperone him. After all, there was no need of being a fool. So he packed a gunny

he mountains and when they did they were made the most of. With significant silence the friends and foes of Burke Lawson were holding themselves in check until

hite, strange to say, was as ignorant as Truedale was of an element that had entered into conditions. It had never occurred to Jim to announce or explain his visitor's arrival. To Pine Cone a "furriner" aroused at best but a superficial interest and, since Truedale had arrived, unseen, at night, why mention him to a community that could not possibly have anything in common

evil type and as loyal to his friends as he was unyielding to his foes. Others declared that the desperado must be "finished"; the trap disagreement was but the last of a long list of crimes; it was time

and Truedale, heedless and unaware, t

vidence, which, by the way, became more conclusive hour by hour as imagination

d Martin, "that he was going to get a p

s to catch Burke; we don't want them to-to string him up or shoot him full of holes; what we-all want is to force White to hand him over to justice, give him a fair trial, and then send him to o

do so and it grew u

on't want to give him a free passage to Kingdom-Come

ncerned, this edict went a

e!" Friend and

n Burke's trapped," Greyson said,

tartling, ne

n' this-fur pay!" Jed falter

n about duty, I see more than one duty. When you catch and cage

than-" J

ss to you, Jed, that the hap

sions of Nella-Rose made

of my daughter. She loves you; she has confessed! You shall come here

e word cam

and your feelings-I've seen what has been going on-but naturally I want my daughter to marry one worthy of her. Y

Marg wanted him and old Greyson was helping her, there was no hope! Bloo

forth for a long tramp. He had no particular destination in mind-in fact, the soft, dreamy autumn day lulled him to mental inertia-he simply went along, but

st. One might as well apply standards to flickering sunlight or to swirling trifles of mountain mist as to Nella-Rose

rl gave of having been blown upon the scene. The pretty, soft hair resting on the cheek in a bewildering curve; the large, dreamy eyes and black lashes;

ose's white teeth showed in a mischievous smile. "We're right safe with Marg down

ast remnant of caution away. They found the sunny spot-it was like a dimple in a hill that had caught the warmth and

ose told him of the belief of the na

fter me all day-she lost me in a place where hiding's good-and there I left her! She'll tell Jed Martin this evening when she gets

ose." The fun, not the danger, o

either warn him and have done

bout me," Truedale half playfully remarked, "the

reckon I would leave you to them-all if there was that danger? They don't aim to shoot or

Nella

of lo

would happen t

r eyes and she became a child once more-a creature so infini

them and let them follow on and then some day-they'

yes. Truedale caught the spirit of her mood and laughed with her. The picture she portrayed of setting jeal

Lawson may return; you may be th

clared confidently. "I know everything that's goi

fancy he seemed to be looking on as Brace Kendall might have. The thought

new word or suggestion escape her. She was

e"-Truedale drew the gunny sack to him-"I bet you're

e food prepared early that morning. As he laid the little feast before her, Truedale acknowledged that, in a

id playfully. "You look as if you were about to fly a

narrow space separating them, she was plead

here, Nella-Rose, while you are eating I'm going to read a s

nibbling of the coveted wing

e spirited tale of love and high adventure that, lik

e flight of time. He stopped suddenly to find that his companion had long since forgotten her hunger and food. Across the débris she

l?" she ask

child, the

o

ate! We mus

y, don't you see, you know

I tel

he warm sun and the pines and

d it gave him an uneasy moment. He knew what he ought to do, but knew that he was

an-look, the look that warned and lured the man near

Nella

it was something all by itself. That's not the sort us-all

They forced their way through her ignorance and untrained yearning for love and admiration. It was a perilous moment, for conscience, on Truedale's part, seemed drugged and sleeping and Nel

-carefully selected bits. It was intensely interesting to lead the untrained mind into bewildering mazes-to watch surprise, wonder, and perplexity merge into understanding and enjoyment. T

mained; and the past-Truedale's past-faded almost from sight. He could hardly realize, when thinking of it afterward, where and how he

ade and, instead of letting it pass as he

is he

ushed and t

Burke isn't-

ever-a

wasn't; I kno

experience and background would have understood it and known that it was a phase that must be dealt with sternly and uncompromisingly, but that it was merely a phase and as such bound to pass. Not so Truedale. He was stirred to the roots of his be

pon him-her trust and happiness-he capitulated and permitted his imagination

reboding; but he saw no way to hold what once was dear, wit

ly sweet and fine woman. He was not always a fool in his madness; at times he was wonderfully clear-sighted. He meant to return home, when once his health was restored, and take the Kendalls into his confidence; but the thought of Lynda gave him a bad moment no

in this he included Nella-Rose, back to his old haunts and prove his wisdom and good fortune. In short, Truedale was love-mad-read

now. Conventions were absurd when applied to present conditions, but, once having accepted the inevitable,

e could afford to revel in the joys of the present

uestioned it. More and more men with a vision-and Truedale devoutly b

primitive, the simple, the real. The artificial exactions of society

seen the actual danger, all might have be

to the extent of keeping her father phenomenally sob

own up over night." She was dazzling and recall

eges with charm and beauty. There had been one fascinating woman, a great-aunt of Nella-Rose's, who had imperilled the family honour by taking her heritage of worship with a high hand. Disregarding the rights of another, she boldly rode off with the man of her choice and left the reconstruction of her re

ght kept Peter from the still, back in the woods, for many a day. He, poor down-at-heel fellow, was a

his hiding place, was throwi

g the community of an outlaw was another. Men knew how to deal with

younger daughter singing a camp meeting hymn in a peculiarly sweet little vo

l hat; I just naturally hate sunbonnets! I'd fav

s took to harps like they was their daily nourishment. Don't you ever forget that, Nel

arg, in the wash-house be

as brought face to face with stern reality. Autumn was gone-though the languorous hours belied it. She must prepare. So she gathered her forces-her garden products that could be exchanged for necessities; the pork; the wo

she called, "are

re at once and present

nd justice been meted out to Marg Greyson she would have been the tenderest of sisters to Nella-Rose. Several years lay between them; the younger girl was encroach

fetch back the lil' things like pepper, salt, and sugar. Tell Cal Merrivale to fetch the rest and b

-mile walk, nor to the heavy load. She promptly pulled her sun

n' to eat firs

bite; I'll eat

nergy even of Nella-Rose, Marg was perplexed. However, she prepared food, tucked it in the basket, and even went so far as to pin her s

eir lives. For different reasons they knew that Jim's cold understanding of duty would shatter the sacred security that was all theirs. Truedale meant to confide everything to White upon his return-meant to rely upon him in the reconstruction of his life; but he knew nothing could b

not returned the night before the chances were that he would make another day of it! Nella-Rose often wondered why others did not note the tell-tale smoke-a clue wh

r escaping from Marg's disturbed gaze, "then I'll hide the things

o make ready for White's return. The fact was he had now got to that point in his story when he longed for Jim as h

e corners of her mouth; "old Jim White can't keep me away. I'll watch out-it'

e same restraint that had held Marg from going to the Hollow awhile back, when she thought that, with night, Burke Lawson might disclose his whereabouts, held Nella-Rose! So insistent was the rising argument that it angered the girl. "Why? Why?" her longings and desires c

c, drooping lines that by and by, unless something saved Nella-Rose, would bec