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She akened by Molly's touch on her arm It was late afternoon Rhoda looked up into the squaw's face and drew a quick hard breath as realization came to her

"Molly! Molly!" she cried "I'm in terrible, terrible trouble, Molly!"

The squaw looked worried

"You no go away! Kut-le heap sorry while you gone!"

But Rhoda scarcely heeded the worant needles and groaned

"O Molly! Molly! I'm in terrible trouble!"

"What trouble? You tell old Molly!"

Rhoda sat up and stared into the deep brown eyes Just as Kut-le had become to her the splendor of the desert, so had Molly beco wisdorasped the Indian woman's toil-scarred hands

"Listen, Molly! Before I knew Kut-le, I was going to marry the white man, DeWitt And after he stole me I hated Kut-le and I hated the desert And now, O Molly, I love both Kut-le and the desert, and I must marry the white man!"

"Why? You tell Molly why?"

"Because he is white, Molly, like me Because he loves me so and has done so much for me! But most of all because he is white!"

Molly scowled

"Because Kut-le is Injun, you no marry hi, Kut-le so big that Great Spirit care if you marry white, marry Injun All Great Spirit care is for every squaw to have papoose Squaw, she big fool to listen to her head Squaw, sheYour heart, it say irl, who sat with storot her hard-earned wisdory woman

"You stay! Stay with Kut-le and old Molly! You so sweet! You like little childs! You lie in old Molly's heart like little girl papoose that never came to Molly You stay! Always, always, Molly will take care of you!"

Rhoda was deeply touched This was the cry of the fa race She put her soft cheek on Molly's shoulder and she could no longer see the sun, for her eyes were tear-blinded Kut-le, standing on the other side of the ca eyes; then he crossed and put his hand on Rhoda's shoulder

"Dear one," he said, "you must eat your supper, then weht For a moment it see in her troubled gaze withheld hily