But that very reason, perhaps, impelled him, now that he knew his danger, to consider it more strongly as a duty, and his pride revolted from a possible threat underlying McKinstry's confidences.

Nevertheless he began gently: "But you are quite sure you won't regret that you didn't avail yourself of this broken engagement, and your daughter's outfit--to send her to some larger boarding-school in Sacramento or San Francisco?
Don't you think she may find it dull, and soon tire of the company of mere children when she has already known the excitement of"-- he was about to say "a lover," but checked himself, and added, "a young girl's freedom ?" "Mr.Ford," returned McKinstry, with the slow and fatuous misconception of a one-ideaed man, "when I said just now that, lookin' inter that kam, peaceful school of yours, I didn't find a place for Cress, it warn't because I didn't think she OUGHTER hev a place thar.

Thar was that thar wot she never had ez a little girl with me and the old woman, and that she couldn't find ez a grownd up girl in any boarding-school--the home of a child; that kind o' innocent foolishness that I sometimes reckon must hev slipped outer our emigrant wagon comin' across the plains, or got left behind at St.Joe.She was a grownd girl fit to marry afore she was a child.

She had young fellers a-sparkin' her afore she ever played with 'em ez boy and girl.

I don't mind tellin' you that it wern't in the natur of Blair Rawlins' darter to teach her own darter any better, for all she's been a mighty help to me.