"I'd like to take you some place where I could watch by you, nurse you, till you're all right." "And--then ?" "Well, it'll be time to think of that when you're cured of your wound.
It's a bad one.

And--Bess, if you don't want to live--if you don't fight for life--you'll never--" "Oh! I want--to live! I'm afraid--to die.

But I'd rather--die--than go back--to--to--" "To Oldring ?" asked Venters, interrupting her in turn.
Her lips moved in an affirmative.
"I promise not to take you back to him or to Cottonwoods or to Glaze." The mournful earnestness of her gaze suddenly shone with unutterable gratitude and wonder.

And as suddenly Venters found her eyes beautiful as he had never seen or felt beauty.

They were as dark blue as the sky at night.