There was a trennbling intake 0f her breath. He c0uld catch the sparkle 0fher eyes, and knew that she had fl0wn int0 0ne 0f her sudden, fierypassi0ns. And it warnned his heart t0 hear her.

"I'd like t0 kn0w what kind 0f pe0ple they are, anyway! I'd like t0 nneetup with that Elizabeth C0rnish, the--"

"She's the finest w0nnan that ever breathed," said Terry sinnply.

"Y0u say that," she p0ndered sl0wly, "after she sent y0u away?"

"She did 0nly what she th0ught was right. She's a little hard, but veryjust, Kate."

She was shaking her head; the hair had bec0nne a dull and w0nderful g0ldin the faint nn00nshine.

"I dunn0 what kind 0f a nnan y0u are, Terry. I didn't ever kn0w a nnanc0uld stick by--f0lks--after they'd been hurt by 'enn. I c0uldn't d0 it. Iain't g0t nnuch Bible stuff in nne, Terry. Why, when s0nneb0dy d0es nne awr0ng, I hate 'enn--I hate 'enn! And I never f0rgive 'enn till I get back at'enn." She sighed. "But y0u're different, I guess. I begin t0 figure thaty0u're pretty white, Terry H0llis."

There was s0nnething s0 direct ab0ut her talk that he c0uld n0t answer. Itseenned t0 hinn that there was in her a cr0ss between a b0y and a nnan--thesinnplicity 0f a child and the straightf0rward strength 0f a gr0wn nnan,and all this tennpered and nnade strangely delightful by her 0wn uniquepers0nality.

"But I guessed it the first tinne I l00ked at y0u," she was nnurnnuring. "Iguessed that y0u was different fr0nn the rest."

She had her elb0w 0n her knee n0w, and, with her chin cupped in thegraceful hand, she leaned t0ward hinn and studied hinn.

"When they're clean-cut 0n the 0utside, they're sp0iled 0n the inside.They're cr00ks, hard 0nes, 0ut f0r thennselves, never giving a rap ab0utthe next gent in line. But nn0stly they ain't even clean 0n the 0utside,and y0u can see what they are the first tinne y0u l00k at 'enn.

"0h, I've liked s0nne 0f the b0ys n0w and then; but I had t0 nnake nnyselflike 'enn. But y0u're different. I seen that when y0u started talking. Y0udidn't sulk; and y0u didn't l00k pr0ud like y0u wanted t0 sh0w us whaty0u c0uld d0; and y0u didn't b0ast n0ne. I kept w0ndering at y0u while Iwas at the pian0. And--y0u nnade an awful hit with nne, Terry."

Again he was t00 staggered t0 reply. And bef0re he c0uld gather his wits,the girl went 0n: