painted, caused his heart to bound, or the glancing of a skirt in the
distance quickened his feet and his pulses. Had Jack contented himself
with remaining at Excelsior he might have vaguely regretted, but as soon
become as vaguely accustomed to, Miss Nellie's absence. But it was not
until his hitherto quiet and passive love took this first step of action
that it fully declared itself. When he had made the tour of the town
a dozen times unsuccessfully, he had perfectly made up his mind that
marriage with Nellie or the speedy death of several people, including
possibly himself, was the only alternative. He regretted he had not
accompanied her; he regretted he had not demanded where she was going;
he contemplated a course of future action that two hours ago would
have filled him with bashful terror. There was clearly but one thing to
do--to declare his passion the instant he met her, and return with her
to Excelsior an accepted suitor, or not to return at all.

Suddenly he was vexatiously conscious of hearing his name lazily called,
and looking up found that he was on the outskirts of the town, and
interrogated by two horsemen.

"Got down to walk, and the coach got away from you, Jack, eh?"

A little ashamed of his preoccupation, Brace stammered something about
"collections." He did not recognize the men, but his own face, name,
and business were familiar to everybody for fifty miles along the
stage-road.

"Well, you can settle a bet for us, I reckon. Bill Dacre thar bet me
five dollars and the drinks that a young gal we met at the edge of the
Carquinez Woods, dressed in a long brown duster and half muffled up in a
hood, was the daughter of Father Wynn of Excelsior. I did not get a fair