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"Shore--I felt that way," she replied, soaze steadily on his face "But now y'u make me think"

"Let's meet without knowin' any more about each other than we do now"

"Shore I'd like that In this big wild Arizona a girl--an' I reckon a nificant What's a nauished I'll call y'u 'Stranger' an' be satisfied--if y'u say it's fair for y'u not to tell who y'u are"

"Fair! No, it's not," declared Jean, forced to confession "My name's Jean--Jean Isbel"

"ISBEL!" she exclaimed, with a violent start "Shore y'u can't be son of old Gass Isbel I've seen both his sons"

"He has three," replied Jean, with relief, now the secret was out "I'on till now On my way--"

The brown color slowly faded out of her face, leaving her quite pale, with eyes that began to blaze The suppleness of her seemed to stiffen

"My name's Ellen Jorth," she burst out, passionately "Does it mean anythin' to y'u?"

"Never heard it in ed to the sheep raisers who 're on the outs with my father That's why I had to tell you I'e an' pretty Reckon I can be just as good a--a friend to you--"

"No Isbel, can ever be a friend to me," she said, with bitter coldness Stripped of her ease and her soft wistfulness, she stood before hiirl, a hostile enemy Then she wheeled and strode off into the woods

Jean, in amaze, in consternation, watched her swiftly draith her lithe, free step, wanting to follow her, wanting to call to her; but the resentment roused by her suddenly avowed hostility held him mute in his tracks He watched her disappear, and when the brown-and-green wall of forest sed the slender gray forainst the insistent desire to follow her, and fought in vain