The Man Thou Gavest

e smaller cabin near by. All one morning they had worked gathering débris and placing it so that it turned the course of a rapid stream that threatened the larger house. It had be

ir love and companionship were all that were left to them and neither counted the cost. But on the sixth day the sun shone, the fl

ou must go-for

ridges, but poor Nella-Rose's progress through life had not been made over anything so substantial as bridges. She h

g to send me-

ear, you and I are quite gloriously mad, but others

n man might still love his woman even if he beat her and, while Nella-Rose would have scorned the suggestion that she

arm-but I want you to meet me at three o'clock at the spot where

The blue-gray ey

inister of yours if we have to travel f

asp. "Back on the hill, when you told God and

ut the others-your people. Should they try to separate us they might cause trouble and

did not intend to leave loose ends that might endanger the safety of others-of this young girl, most of all. He was only going to carry out his original plans for her safety-

me passionately from Nell

ey're too free with their guns. There's a lot to expla

along. Always and always I'm going to do what you say!" Already his power over her was

l three, s

g for her basket, when a shadow fell across the floor. Truedale and the girl turned and confronted-Jim White! What he had se

sing his load upon the table. Then he turned towa

gaze shifted to Nella-Rose an

s, or-comin'?"

ent toward her. The covert brutality in White's words shocked and ang

Nella-Rose was gone thro

aped him, Truedale turned to White and

o say for yourself?"

ad come back and found-But shock always stiffened Jim White; that was one reason for his success in life.

le as long as he cared to, "I'm going over to my place to tu

e, until you explai

having drawn his own conclusion,

ay, young feller. There's mail for yo' in the sack and-a telegram." White paused by th

n the 16th. Come at once. V

orgot the thing that ha

" asked th

some narcotic were losing its power; the fevered unreality was

s this?" he

m replied as he mo

t a train from

s anywhere 'twixt nin

nt to explain a thing or two-before I go. I'll be back as soon as I can-in a week or te

to the dulled brain. By a power as unyielding as death Jim was destroying the screen Truedale ha

to catch the meaning of White's attitude; now that he realized it, he

spoke from out

n my own way!"-there was almost a warning in this. "I'm dead tired, root and branch. I'm goin' ter take a bite an' turn in. I may sleep a couple o' days; put off

ing his way to Truedale's soul and

with the storm," he remarke

N

rmined not to share any furth

such a lily of purity that he presumed to take that attitude? Was the code of the hill

uld be his before the world; in two weeks he would be back; the future would shame White and bring him to his senses. Jim had a soft heart; he was just, in his brutal fashion. When he understood how matters were, he would feel lik

o arise. No man on earth could make Nella-Rose more his than his love and good faith had made her, still he was eager now to resort to all the time-honoured safeguards before he left. Once married he would go with a heart almost light. He would confide everything to Kendall and

emed still there. She would always be part of it just as she was now part of hi

n, hoping to be at the c

s and the significance of summer long pas

had on a rough, mannish-looking coat, and a coarse, red hood covered her bright head. Nella

s the girl turned upon him. Her eyes were wide and filled with a light

sked, fearing some

nes were thrilling. "He was going through Devil-may-com

imly; there was no time to lose. Between three and nine o'clock su

an?" She laughed u

necessary. Jump up!" He turned to

is? Me shame you

throwing the rough coat back dis

gs, but I have a white dress and a pink ribbon-I'll

aught her-she had been whirled al

my dear, and you-you must come with me. Would you let a lit

s was that subtle understanding of honour that had come to

If I thought I had to go in rags to make

d, he might lose more than he could hope to gain, he let her free while he took a card and p

y moment you want me, send word here-telegraph from the station-you come first, always! You are

sweetness. He kissed her

u go, my darli

nst his breast, her eyes heavy now with grief a

tree, small and shabby, but the late afternoon sun transfigured her. In the gloomy setting of the woods, that fair,

might make one wonder if a wise God or a cruel demon controls our fates-she ran away

us tales and so could beguile the waiting days. Nella-Rose meant to confide in her and ask h

e, like a hungry thing of the wilds, had found his foe's trail and meant to bag him unaided and have full vengeance and glory. But so unexpectedly, and alarmingly unconcerned, did Burke materialize in th

ke a friendly

ing lik

e in, come

got ter settle in the open!" Jed stuttered.

. I'd just decided ter come out; I was going up ter Jim White's and hel

ot me, Burke-like

yo' would have-" Here Burke laug

yo'

et outsiders take the life out o' me-yo' skunk! Well, instead, Jed-I'm goin' on my weddin' trip-me and lil' Nella-Rose. I've seen her; she done promised to have me, when I come out o' hidin'. I'm coming out now! Nella-Rose an' me are goin' to find a bigger place tha

ed gun. "Now, then, take a seat an' make yerself ter home!" Jed g

starve here?" he ask

n a key on yer like yo' was aimin' ter do on me! It's up to yo' an' yer wigglin' powers, when yo' get free. The emptier yer belly

he and his crue

the indirect moonlight which slanted through the openin

new the sheriff had for him-confess his love for Nella-Rose-make his promise for future redemption and then go, scot-free, to claim the girl