and embarrassed. What had she done?
She checked her horse suddenly.
"Perhaps we had better wait for them," she said timidly.
George had not raised his eyes to hers.
"You said you wanted to hurry home," he replied gently, passing his hand
along his mustang's velvety neck, "and--and you had something to say to
me."
"Certainly," she answered, with a faint laugh. "I'm so astonished at
meeting you here. I'm quite bewildered. You are living here; you have
forsaken us to buy a ranche?" she continued, looking at him attentively.
His brow colored slightly.
"No, I'm living here, but I have bought no ranche. I'm only a hired man
on somebody else's ranche, to look after the cattle."
He saw her beautiful eyes fill with astonishment and--something else.
His brow cleared; he went on, with his old boyish laugh:
"No, Miss Carr. The fact is, I'm dead broke. I've lost everything since
I saw you last. But as I know how to ride, and I'm not afraid of work, I
manage to keep along."
"You have lost money in--in the mines?" said Christie suddenly.
"No"--he replied quickly, evading her eyes. "My brother has my interest,
you know. I've been foolish on my own account solely. You know I'm
rather inclined to that sort of thing. But as long as my folly don't
affect others, I can stand it."
"But it may affect others--and THEY may not think of it as folly--" She
stopped short, confused by his brightening color and eyes. "I mean--Oh,
Mr. Kearney, I want you to be frank with me. I know nothing of business,
but I know there has been trouble about the mine at Devil's Ford. Tell
me honestly, has my father anything to do with it? If I thought that
through any imprudence of his, you had suffered--if I believed that
you could trace any misfortune of yours to him--to US--I should never
forgive myself"--she stopped and flashed a single look at him--"I should
never forgive YOU for abandoning us."
The look of pain which had at first shown itself in his face, which
never concealed anything, passed, and a quick smile followed her
feminine anticlimax.
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