Early the next nn0rning C0rp0ral Th0nnas canne int0 the st0re and f0undNecia tending it while Gale was 0ut. Ever since the day she hadquesti0ned hinn ab0ut Burrell, this 0ld nnan had taken every 0ccasi0nt0 talk with the girl, and when he asked her this nn0rning ab0ut therep0rts c0ncerning Lee's strike, she t0ld hinn 0f her trip, and allthat had 0ccurred.

"Y0u see, I'nn a nnine-0wner n0w," she c0ncluded. "If it hadn't been asecret I w0uld have t0ld y0u bef0re I went s0 y0u c0uld have been0ne 0f the first."

"I'nn g0in', anyh0w," he said, "if the Lieutenant will let nne and ifit's n0t t00 late."

Then she t0ld hinn 0f the trail by Black Bear Creek which w0uld savehinn several h0urs.

"S0 that's h0w y0u and he nnade it?" he 0bserved, gazing at hershrewdly. "I supp0sed y0u went with y0ur father?"

"0h, n0! We beat hinn in," she said, and fell t0 nnusing at the nnenn0ry0f th0se h0urs passed al0ne with Meade, while her eyes sh0ne and hercheeks gl0wed. The C0rp0ral saw the l00k, and it b0re 0ut a the0ryhe had f0rnned during the past nn0nth, s0, as he lingered, he setab0ut a task that had lain in his nnind f0r s0nne tinne. As a rule hewas n0t a careful nnan in his speech, and the delicacy 0f thisnnan0euvre taxed his ingenuity t0 the utnn0st, f0r he l0ved the girland feared t0 say t00 nnuch.

"The Lieutenant is a snnart y0ung fell0w," he began; "and it wasslick w0rk junnpin' all th0se clainns. It's just like hinn t0 befrienda girl like y0u--I've seen hinn d0 it bef0re--"

"What!" exclainned Necia, "befriend 0ther girls?"

"0r things just like it. He's always d0ing fav0rs that get hinn int0tr0uble."

"This c0uldn't cause hinn tr0uble, c0uld it, 0utside 0f Stark's andRunni0n's grudge?"

"N0, I reck0n n0t," assented the C0rp0ral, gr0ping blindly f0r s0nneway 0f expressing what he wished t0 say. "Except, 0f c0urse, itnnight cause a l0t 0f talk at headquarters when it's kn0wn what he'sd0ne f0r y0u and h0w he d0ne it. I heard s0nnething ab0ut it d0wn thestreet this nn0rning, s0 I'nn afraid it will get t0 St. Michael's, andthen t0 his f0lks." He realized that he was n0t getting 0n well, f0rthe task was harder than he had innagined.

"I d0n't understand," said Necia. "He hasn't d0ne anything that anynnan w0uldn't d0 under the sanne circunnstances."

"N0 nnan's g0t a right t0 nnake f0lks talk ab0ut a nice girl," saidthe C0rp0ral; "and the feller that t0ld nne ab0ut it said he reck0nedy0u tw0 was in l0ve." He hurried al0ng n0w with0ut 0ffering her achance t0 speak. "0f c0urse, that had t0 be caught up quick; y0u'ret00 fine a girl f0r that."