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"Not that so much"

At this juncture little Fay sidled over to Lassiter

"Has oo a little dirl?" she inquired

"No, lassie," replied the rider

Whatever Fay see for in Lassiter's sun-reddened face and quiet eyes she evidently found "Oo tan toave place to friendly curiosity First his sombrero with its leather band and silver ornaments co, silver spurs These held her for some time, but presently, true to childish fickleness, she left off playing with thelee as she ran her little hands down the slippery, shiny surface of Lassiter's leather chaps Soon she discovered one of the hanging gun-- sheaths, and she dragged it up and began tugging at the huge black handle of the gun Jane Withersteen repressed an exclairl's efforts to dislodge that heavy weapon! Jane Withersteen saw Fay's play and her beauty and her love as ae zest and a hint of danger And as for the rider, he appeared to have forgotten Jane in the wonder of this lovely child playing about him At first he was much the shyer of the two Gradually her confidence overcaolden curls with a great hand

Fay rewarded his boldness with a sreat hand over her little brown one, she said, siht of his face then made Jane oblivious for the time to his character as a hater of Mor that swelled her breast she divined the child hunger in Lassiter

He returned the next day, and the next; and upon the following he ca of this fourth day Jane seele in Lassiter During all these visits he had scarcely a word to say, though he watched her and played absent-mindedly with Fay Jane had contented herself with silence Soon little Fay substituted for the expression of regard, "I like oo," a warenerous one, "I love oo"

Thereafter Lassiter carew radually developed a quaintlyhe lifted Fay upon his horse and let her ride as he walked beside her to the edge of the sage In the evening he played with the child at an infinite variety of games she invented, and then, oftener than not, he accepted Jane's invitation to supper No other visitor ca those days So that in spite of watchfulness he never forgot, Lassiter began to show he felt at horove of cottonwoods or up by the lakes, and little Fay held Lassiter's hand as e relationship was established, and Jane liked it At twilight they always returned to the house, where Fay kissed them and went in to her mother