The Fighting Shepherdess

He was listening sullenly and she read in his wavering look that he was weakening.

"You must be sensible, Jap. Be reasonable, for we haven't a dollar, and look--here are five hundred of them! We simply can't refuse."

She saw the greedy glint in his eyes as she held the money toward him, and knew that the battle was over.

"I'll not have anything to do with it, anyway."

She could have smiled at his continued pretence of reluctance, his fictitious dignity, if it had not saddened her. As she returned the money to the bureau drawer and slowly closed it she was conscious that in her heart she would have been glad and proud if he had not yielded.