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"How in the world did you offend her so?" asked Helen "Bo is furious I never saw her so angry as that"

"Miss Nell, it was jest this way," began Carmichael "Shore Bo's knowed I was in love with her I asked her to marry me an' she wouldn't say yes or no An', mean as it sounds--she never run away from it, thet's shore We've had some quarrels--two of them bad, an' this last's the worst"

"Bo told me about one quarrel," said Helen "It was--because you drank--that time"

"Shore it was She took one of her cold spells an' I jest got drunk"

"But that rong," protested Helen

"I ain't so shore You see, I used to get drunk often--before I coas the outfit would never believe thet Wal, I proain, an' I've kept ry now?"

"Bohis head "I took her to the dance last week--over in the town-hall Thet's the first tione anywhere with me I shore was proud But thet dance was hell Bo carried on somethin' turrible, an' I--"

"Tell me What did she do?" deot to see that she behaves"

"Aw, I ain't sayin' she didn't behave like a lady," replied Carmichael "It was--she--wal, all them fellars are fools over her--an' Bo wasn't true to ed to you?"

"Lord--if she only was!" he sighed

"Then how can you say she wasn't true to you? Be reasonable"

"I reckon now, Miss Nell, thet no one can be in love an' act reasonable," rejoined the cowboy "I don't kno to explain, but the fact is I feel thet Bo has played the--the devil with me an' all the other fellars"

"You as, I' apprehension "Go on Tell me what's happened"

"Wal, thet Turner boy, who rides for Beasley, he was hot after Bo," returned Carmichael, and he spoke as if memory hurt him "Reckon I've no use for Turner He's a fine-lookin', strappin', big cow-puncher, an' calculated to win the girls He brags thet he can, an' I reckon he's right Wal, he was always hangin' round Bo An' he stole one of my dances with Bo I only had three, an' he comes up to say this one was his; Bo, very innocent--oh, she's a cute one!--she says, 'Why, Mister Turner--is it really yours?' An' she looked so full of joy thet when he says to me, 'Excoose us, friend Caro But I wasn't mad at thet He was a better dancer than ood time What started the hell was I seen him put his arm round her when it wasn't just time, accordin' to the dance, an' Bo--she didn't break any records gettin' away from him She pushed him away--after a little--after I near died Wal, on the way home I had to tell her I shore did An' she said what I'd love to forget Then--then, Miss Nell, I grabbed her--it was outside here by the porch an' all bright ood When I let her go I says, sorta brave, but I was pluoin' to marry me now?'"