"She
tried to talk me out of it, and then when she saw I couldn't stand it
she just went quietly off and got it."
"I guess you could have held out till the morning if you'd put your
mind to it," said the old man dryly, rising with the blankets.
For the moment he despised David almost as bitterly as Courant did. It
was not alone the weakness so frankly admitted; it was that his action
had made Daddy John harbor secret censure of the being dearest to him.
The old man could have spat upon him. He moved away for fear of the
words that trembled on his tongue. And another and deeper pain
tormented him--that his darling should so love this feeble creature
that she could steal for him and take the blame of his misdeeds. This
was the man to whom she had given her heart! He found himself wishing
that David had never come back from his search for the lost horses.
Then the other man, the real man that was her fitting mate, could have
won her.
At sunset the train was ready. Every article that could be dispensed
with was left, a rich find for the Indians whose watch fires winked
from the hills.
Pages:
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453