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Kate closed her lips, looked at him with deep scorn, and walked

around the corner of the house For a second he looked after her

threateningly, then he sprang to his feet, and ran to her,

catching her in his arive me, dearest," he cried "That took the wind out of my

sails until I was a brute You'd no business to SAY a thing like

that Of course we can't have the old Land King down on us

We've got to have our share of that land and money to buy us a

fine home in Hartley, and fix me up the kind of an office I should

have We'll borrow a rig and drive over to-s

solid with the old folks You bet I'led old

persuader, look what I did with you --"

"You stop!" cried Kate, breaking fro as if youland and

money from it I haven't been home in a year, and my father would

deliberately kill me if I ithin his reach"

"Well, score one for little old scratchin', pickin', Mammy!" he

cried "She SAID you had a secret!"

Kate stood very still, looking at him so intently that a sense of

shame must have stirred in his breast

"Look here, Kate," he said, roughly "Mother did say you had a

secret, and she hinted at Christo