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"I'd oughta wired 'em long ago, but you understand! Miss Montague ain't exactly Ma an' Allie's kind." "You're not ashamed of her?" "Hunh!" The tone of this exclamation was an eloquent denial. "Then let's have them come on and get acquainted. They'll probably take right to her."

She held out her arms. But Neale plunged away, upheld by Slingerland, and Allie's world grew suddenly empty and black. The train swayed and creaked along through the Night with that strain and effort which told of upgrade. The oil-lamps burned dimly in corners of the coach. There were soldiers at open windows looking out.

At the end of the hour, Mrs. Pennypoker herself appeared on the threshold, with a plate of crackers in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Without a word to the captive, she set the meagre lunch upon the table, and withdrew, locking the door behind her. At this last insult, Allie's temper flashed up again.

Allie returned to her chair by the sideboard before she ventured to look up. Durade was playing cards with four men, three of whom were black-garbed, after the manner of professional gamblers. The other player wore gray, and a hat of unusual shape, with wide, loose, cloth band. He removed his hat as he caught Allie's glance, and she associated the act with the fact of her presence.

"Cure Charlie's eye, then," she answered, with quaint, serious directness. "My dear little girl, I will if I can," he replied gravely. Then he turned away, to close the blinds, draw down the shades, and pull together the heavy curtains, until the room lay in deep shadow. At sight of these ominous preparations, Allie's fear came back to her.

Her father, sensitive, cold, embittered by the past, suffered intolerable shame at the disgrace of a wife's desertion and a daughter's notoriety. Allie's presence hurt him; he avoided her as much as possible; the little kindnesses that he had shown, and his feelings of pride in her beauty and charm, soon vanished. There was no love between them.

Then he made signs for her to change from the garb she wore to the clothes contained in the bundles. Further, he gave her to understand that she was to hurry, that she was to be taken away. With that he went out, shutting and barring the door after him. Allie's hands shook as she opened the packages. That very hour might bring her freedom.

Lee," he panted, very low, and the bloody patch on his shirt heaved with his breath, "my only regret is I didn't think to make Durade tell the truth.... He lied.... He wanted to revenge himself on Allie's mother through Allie.... What he said about Allie was a lie as black as his heart. He meant evil for her. But somehow she was saved. He was a tiger playing and he waited too long.

All the men faced the door through which sounded slow, heavy tread of boots. An Irishman entered. Then a tall man. Allie's troubled soul suddenly calmed. She saw Neale. Slowly he advanced a few steps. Another man entered, and Allie knew him by his buckskin garb. Neale turned, his face in the light. And a poignant cry leaped up from Allie's heart to be checked on her lips.

"Seems funny, Miss Allie, that you, that's so clever in the right ways of talkin', can't do a sum," said Jim. Allie's self-complacency was somewhat restored by the compliment; but she still answered, rather resentfully, "Well, I can, a decent sum! I had five lines yesterday, and added it all right, too; but a sum like that I b'lieve even brother Ned couldn't do it!"