Morse walked out of the office looking straight before him, his strong
back teeth gripped so that the muscles stood out on his salient jaw.
Impulsively the girl ran around the counter after him.
He looked up from untying his horse to see her straight and supple figure
running toward him. Her eager face was full of contrition and the color of
pink rose petals came and went in it.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Morse. I oughtn't to have done that. I hurt your
feelings," she cried.
At best he was never a handsome man, but now his deep, dark eyes lit with
a glow that surprised her.
"Thank you. Thank you very much," he said in a low voice.
"I'm so tempery," she explained in apology, and added: "I suppose a nice
girl wouldn't have done it."
"A nice girl did do it," was all he could think to say.
"You needn't take the trouble to say that. I know I've just scrambled up
and am not ladylike and proper. Sometimes I don't care. I like to be able
to do things like boys. But I suppose it's dreadful."
"I don't think it is at all. None of your friends could think so. Not that
I include myself among them," he hastened to disclaim. "I can't be both
your friend and your enemy, can I?"
The trace of a sardonic smile was in his eyes. For the moment as she
looked at him she thought he might. But she answered: "I don't quite see how."
"You hate me, I suppose," he blurted out bluntly.
"I suppose so." And more briskly she added, with dimples playing near the
corners of her mouth: "Of course I do."
"That's frank. It's worth something to have so decent an enemy. I don't
believe you would shoot me in the back."
"Some of the others would. You should be more careful," she cried before
she could stop herself.
He shrugged. "I take my fighting chance."
"It isn't much of a one. You'll be shot at from ambush some day."
"It wouldn't be a new experience. I went through it last week."
"Where?" she breathed.
"Down by Willow Wash."
"Who did it?"
He laughed, without amusement. "I didn't have my rifle with me, so I
didn't stay to inquire."
"It must have been some of those wild vaqueros."
"That was my guess."