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His attitude toward Rhoda piqued her while it amused her Since her childhood, men had treated her with deference, had paid alht charhtfully considerate of her He was uniformly courteous to her But it was the courtesy of noblesse oblige, without a trace of deference in it

One afternoon Kut-le sat alone on the veranda with Rhoda

"Do you know," he said, ru his black hair, "that I think DeWitt has decided that I will bear watching!"

"Well," answered Rhoda idly, "and won't you?"

Kut-le chuckled

"Would you prefer that I show the lurking savage beneath this false shell of good manners?"

Rhoda smiled back at him

"Of course you are an Indian, after all It's rather too bad of you not to live up to any of our ideals Your manners are as nice as John DeWitt's I'd be quite frantic about you if you would drop theo on the war-path"

Kut-le threw back his head and laughed

"Oh, you ignorant young thing! It's lucky for you--and for row up and complete your education! But DeWitt needn't worry I don't need watching yet! First, I' to make you well I kno and he doesn't After that is done, he'd better watch!"

Rhoda's eyebrows began to go up Kut-le never had recalled by word or look her outburst in the desert the h they had taken several since Rhoda seldom mentioned her illness now and her friends respected her feeling But now Kut-le s brows

"I've waited for the others to get busy," he said, "but they act foolish Half the trouble with you is h, in spite of the eggs and beef and fruit that that dear Mrs Jack sets before you See how your hands shake thisfor this forward young Indian While she was turning several over in her lass of milk

"I wish you'd drink this," he said

Rhoda's brows still were arched haughtily

"No, thank you," she said frigidly; "I don't wish you to undertake the care of lass steadily before her Involuntarily, Rhoda looked up The young Indian atching her with eyes so clear, so tender, with that strange look of tragedy belying their youth, with that so in their quiet depths, that once more her tired pulses quickened Rhoda looked frolass of milk and drank it She would not have done this for any of the others and both she and Kut-le knew it Thereafter, he deliberately set hi her and it see means for her co Indian