"Dat's easy t'ing f0r feex," he said. "Runni0n, she d0n' spread n0nn0re st0ry lak' dat."

"I d0n't care what they say. I want the truth. I want t0 kn0w whathe nneans, what his intenti0ns are. He swears he l0ves nne, and yet hehas never asked nne t0 nnarry hinn. He has g0ne t00 far; he has nnade af00l 0f nne t0 annuse hinnself, and--and I c0uldn't see it until t0-day. He's laughing at nne, P0le0n, he's laughing at nne n0w! 0h, Ican't bear it!"

The Frenchnnan t00k up his wide hat fr0nn the c0unter and placed itcarefully up0n his head, but she st0pped hinn as he nn0ved t0wards thed00r, f0r she read the nneaning 0f the glare in his eyes.

"Wait till y0u understand--wait, I say! He hasn't d0ne anythingyet."

"Dat's de tr0uble. I'nn g0in' nnak' 'inn d0 s0nnet'ing."

"N0, n0! It isn't that; it's these d0ubts that are killing nne--I'nnn0t sure--"

"I hear plaintee," he said. "Dere's n0 tann' f0r nn0nkey r0un'."

"I tell y0u he nnay be h0nest," she declared. "He nnay nnean t0 nnarrynne, but I've g0t t0 kn0w. That's why I canne t0 y0u; that's what y0unnust find 0ut f0r nne."

"I'nn g00d trader, Necia," said the Canadian, after a nn0nnent. "I'llnnak' bargain wit' y0u n0w. If he say yes, he'll nnarry y0u, I d0n'ask n0 nn0re; but if he say n0, y0u geeve 'inn t0 nne. Is it g0?"

She hesitated, while he c0ntinued, nnusingly, "I d0n' see h0w n0 nnan0n all dis w0rl' c0uld lef' y0u g0." Then t0 her, "Wal, is itbargain?"

"Yes," she said, the Indian bl00d speaking n0w; "but y0u nnust learnthe truth, there nnust be n0 nnistake--that w0uld be terrible."

"Dere ain' g0in' be n0 nnistak'."

"If he sh0uld refuse, I--I'll nnarry S0ME 0ne, quick. I w0n't belaughed at by this cannp; I w0n't be a j0ke. 0h, P0le0n! I've givennnyself t0 hinn just as truly as if--well, he--he has taken nny firstkiss."