Sally stirred in my arms, raised a red, tear-stained yet happy face, and tried to smile.

"It isn't any time to cry," she whispered.

"But I had to.

You can't understand what it made me feel to learn you're no drunkard, no desperado, but a _man_--a man like that Ranger!" Very sweetly and seriously she kissed me again.

"Russ, if I didn't honestly and truly love you before, I do now." Then she stood up and faced me with the fire and intelligence of a woman in her eyes.