give in an inch," she said aloud. "Will would have given up the cattle
business, or anything else, to please me." Then she reasoned with
herself, knowing that Will Corliss had given up all interest in the
Concho, not to please her but to hurt her, for the night before his
disappearance he had asked her to marry him and she had very sensibly
refused, telling him frankly that she liked him, but that until he had
settled down to something worth while she had no other answer for him.

She was thinking of Will when she rode in to the rancho and turned her
horse over to Miguel. Suddenly she flushed, remembering John Corliss's
eyes as he had held her in his arms.




CHAPTER VI

THE BROTHERS

As Corliss rode up to the ranch gate he took the mail from the little
wooden mail-box and stuffed it into his pocket with the exception of a
letter which bore the postmark of Antelope and his address in a
familiar handwriting. He tore the envelope open hastily and glanced at
the signature, "Will."

Then he read the letter. It told of his brother's unexpected arrival
in Antelope, penniless and sick. Corliss was not altogether surprised
except in regard to the intuition of Eleanor, which puzzled him, coming
as it had so immediately preceding the letter.