girl's quivering mouth steadied, the tears stopped in her vexed
dark eyes and she lifted them to him at last.

"She ain't?"

"No, indeed, she ain't."

For a while they rode along again in silence. June no longer
avoided his eyes now, and the unspoken question in her own
presently came out:

"You won't let Uncle Rufe bother me no more, will ye?"

"No, indeed, I won't," said Hale heartily. "What does he do to
you?"

"Nothin'--'cept he's always a-teasin' me, an'--an' I'm afeered o'
him."

"Well, I'll take care of Uncle Rufe."

"I knowed YOU'D say that," she said. "Pap and Dave always laughs
at me," and she shook her head as though she were already
threatening her bad uncle with what Hale would do to him, and she
was so serious and trustful that Hale was curiously touched. By
and by he lifted one flap of his saddle-pockets again.

"I've got some candy here for a nice little girl," he said, as
though the subject had not been mentioned before. "It's for you.
Won't you have some?"