Langford of the Three Bars Part 30

"h.e.l.lo, the house!" hailed the horseman, cheerily, drawing rein at the very door. "h.e.l.lo, within!"

The visitor threw wide the door, and Williston's voice called cordially:

"Come in, come in, Langford! I am glad you came early."

"Will you send Mary out, Williston? I need your ch.o.r.e boy to help me water Sade here."

The voice was merry, but there was a vibrant tone in it that made the listening girl tremble a little. Langford never waited for opportunities. He made them.

Mary came to the door with quiet self-composure. She had known from the first the stranger was Langford. How like the scene of a summer's day more than a year past; but how far sweeter the maid-how much more it meant to the man now than then!

"Father, show Mr. Langford in," she said, smiling a welcome. "I shall be glad to take Sade to the spring."

She took hold of the bridle rein trailing to the ground. Langford leaped lightly from his saddle.

"I said 'help me,'" he corrected.

"The spring is down there," she directed. "I think you know the way."

She turned to enter the house.

For an instant, Langford hesitated. A shadow fell across his face.

"I want you to come, Mary," he said, simply. "It is only hospitable, you know."

"Oh, if you put it in that way-," she started gayly down the path.

He followed her more slowly. A young moon hung in the western sky. The air was crisp with the coming frost. The path was strewn with dead cottonwood leaves which rustled dryly under their feet.

At the spring, shadowed by the biggest cottonwood, she waited for him.

"I wish my father would cut down that tree," she said, shivering.

"You are cold," he said. His voice was not quite steady. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her, despite her protests. He wanted to hold her then, but he did not, though the touch of her sent the blood bounding riotously through his veins.

"You shall wear the coat I-do not want you to go in yet."

"But Sade has finished, and people will be coming soon."

"I will not keep you long. I want you to-Mary, my girl, I tried to kill Black, but-Jim-" his voice choked a little-"if it hadn't been for Jim, Black would have killed me. I thought I could do it. I meant to have you. Jim said it was all the same-his doing it in my stead. I came to-night to ask you if it is the same. Is it, Mary?"

She did not answer for a little while. How still a night it was! Lights twinkled from the windows of the new house. Now and then a dry leaf rustled as some one, the man, the girl, or the horse, moved.

"It is the same," she said at last, brokenly.

Her eyes were heavy with unshed tears. "But I never meant it, Paul. I was wild that night, but I never meant that you or-Jim should take life or-or-give yours. I never meant it!"

His heart leaped, but he did not touch her.

"Do you love me?" he asked.

She turned restlessly toward the house.

"My father will be wanting me," she said. "I must go."

"You shall not go until you have told me," he said. "You must tell me.

You never have, you know. Do you love me?"

"You have not told me, either," she resisted. "You are not fair."

He laughed under his breath, then bent his sunny head-close.

"Have you forgotten so soon?" he whispered.

Suddenly, he caught her to him, strongly, as was his way.

"I will tell you again," he said, softly. "I love you, my girl, do you hear? There is no one but you in all the world."

The fair head bent closer and closer, then he kissed her-the little man-coated figure in his arms.

"I love you," he said.

She trembled in his embrace. He kissed her again.

"I love you," he repeated.

She hid her face on his breast. He lifted it gently.

"I tell you-I love you," he said.

He placed her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips to his, once, softly.

"I love you," she whispered.

"My girl, my girl!" he said in answer. The confession was far sweeter than he had ever dreamed. He held her cheek pressed close to his for a long moment.

"The Three Bars is waiting for its mistress," he said at last, exultantly. "A mistress and a new foreman all at once-the boys will have to step lively."

"A new foreman?" asked Mary in surprise. "I did not know you had a new foreman."

"I shall have one in a month," he said, smilingly. "By that time, George Williston will have sold the Lazy S for good money, invested the proceeds in cattle, turned the whole bunch in to range with the Three Bars herds, and on November first, he will take charge of the worldly affairs of one Paul Langford and his wife, of the Three Bars."

"Really, Paul?" The brown eyes shone with pleasure.

"Really, Mary."

"Has my father consented?"

"No, but he will when he finds I cannot do without him and when-I marry his daughter."