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"Oh, if you are serious then, I say no--no--no! I forbid you I don't believe I'll be robbed of my property"

"Wal, supposin' Beasley does put you off--an' takes possession What 're you goin' to say then?" demanded the cowboy, in slow, cool deliberation

"I'd say the sahtfully while his red hands sirls haven't been West very long," hefor them "An' I reckon it takes time to learn the ways of a country"

"West or no West, I won't have fights deliberately picked, and men shot, even if they do threaten ht, Miss Nell, shore I respect your wishes," he returned "But I'll tell you this If Beasley turns you an' Bo out of your home--wal, I'll look hiaze at him as he backed to the door, and she thrilled and shuddered at what seemed his loyalty to her, his love for Bo, and that which was inevitable in hiht save us all soo after thet greaser"

"Greaser! Do you dalena, where I heard folks say nary one of his parents was no good"

"That doesn'tof huht"

"Wal, Miss Nell, I'll wait till you get real et mad," interrupted Helen "I'll keep my temper"

"I'll bet you don't," he retorted "Mebbe you think you've none of Bo in you But I'll bet you could get so ot them eyes for, Miss Nell, if you ain't an Auchincloss?"

He was s, yet heshe feared

"Las Vegas, I won't bet But you--you will always come to me--first--if there's trouble"

"I promise," he replied, soberly, and then went out

Helen found that she was tre, and that there was a coer did she hold doubt of the gravity of the situation She had seen Beasley often, several times close at hand, and once she had been forced to meet him That time had convinced her that he had evinced personal interest in her And on this account, coupled with the fact that Riggs appeared to have nothing else to do but shadow her, she had been slow in developing her intention of organizing and teaching a school for the children of Pine Riggs had become rather a doubtful celebrity in the settlements Yet his bold, apparent badness had aer news in Pine what his intentions were toward Helen Rayner Twice he had ridden up to the ranch-house, upon one occasion securing an intervieith Helen In spite of her conte her life there in Pine And it began to appear that the other nificance upon the liberty of her actions