He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully, and he essayed a perfectly casual manner, and pretended to be busy assorting pieces of pottery.

She must have no cause again to suffer shame for curiosity of his.

Yet never in all his days had he been so eager to hear the details of anyone's life.
"When I rode--I rode like the wind," she replied, "and never had time to stop for anything." "I remember that day I--I met you in the Pass--how dusty you were, how tired your horse looked.

Were you always riding ?" "Oh, no.

Sometimes not for months, when I was shut up in the cabin." Venters tried to subdue a hot tingling.
"You were shut up, then ?" he asked, carelessly.
"When Oldring went away on his long trips--he was gone for months sometimes--he shut me up in the cabin." "What for ?" "Perhaps to keep me from running away.