The storm burst--and I'm a ruined woman!...

I thought you were alone." Venters, unable to speak for consternation, and bewildered out of all sense of what he ought or ought not to do, simply stared at Jane.
"Son, where are you bound for ?" asked Lassiter.
"Not safe--where I was.

I'm--we're going out of Utah--back East," he found tongue to say.
"I reckon this meetin's the luckiest thing that ever happened to you an' to me--an' to Jane--an' to Bess," said Lassiter, coolly.
"Bess!" cried Jane, with a sudden leap of blood to her pale cheek.
It was entirely beyond Venters to see any luck in that meeting.
Jane Withersteen took one flashing, woman's glance at Bess's scarlet face, at her slender, shapely form.
"Venters! is this a girl--a woman ?" she questioned, in a voice that stung.
"Yes." "Did you have her in that wonderful valley ?" "Yes, but Jane--" "All the time you were gone ?" "Yes, but I couldn't tell--" "Was it for her you asked me to give you supplies?
Was it for her that you wanted to make your valley a paradise ?" "Oh--Jane--" "Answer me." "Yes." "Oh, you liar!" And with these passionate words Jane Withersteen succumbed to fury.

For the second time in her life she fell into the ungovernable rage that had been her father's weakness.

And it was worse than his, for she was a jealous woman--jealous even of her friends.
As best he could, he bore the brunt of her anger.