wonderful."

"Yep. Now we're rich. And buyin' di'mon's and pianos and goin' to
Dallas for pretty fixin's. Seems kinda dreamy." Allegheny Briskow
closed her eyes, her massive crown of damp, disordered hair
drooped backward and for a moment Gray was able, unobserved, to
study her.

She had revealed herself to him, suddenly, in the space of a few
moments, and the revelation added such poignancy to his previous
thoughts that he regarded her with a wholly new sympathy. There
was nothing dull about this girl. On the contrary, she had
intelligence and feeling. There had been a rich vibrance in her
voice as she told of that frightful ordeal; a dimness had come
into her eyes as she spoke of her mother gabbling feverishly of
the green hills and babbling brooks; she had yearned maternally at
mention of those wretched little children. No, there was a sincere
emotional quality concealed in this young giantess, and a
sensitiveness quite unexpected.

Gray remained silent until she opened her eyes; then he said:
"When you and your mother come to Dallas to do your shopping,
won't you let me take you around to the right shops and see that
you get the right things?" Then, prompted by the girl's quick
resentment, he added, hastily, "--at the right prices?"

Allie's face cleared. "Why, that's right nice of you!" she
declared. "I--I reckon we'd be glad to."

Gus Briskow was a sandy, angular man; a ring of air holes cut in