denunciationoftheirpastlife——previoustotheirconversion。IfIammistakenI——er——askyourpardon，andtheirsand——er——holdmyselfresponsible——er——personallyresponsible！“
Thepreacherglanceduneasilyatthecolonel，butreplied，stillinthehystericalintonationofhisexordium:——
“Yes！acompletesearchingofhearts——acastingoutofthesevenDevilsofPride，VainGlory“——
“Thankyou——thatissufficient，“saidthecolonelblandly。“ButmightI——er——bepermittedtosuggestthatyou——er——er——SETTHEMTHE
EXAMPLE！Thestatementofthecircumstancesattendingyourownpastlifeandconversionwouldbesingularlyinterestingandexemplary。“
Thepreacherturnedsuddenlyandglancedatthecolonelwithfuriouseyessetinanashyface。
“IfthisisthefloutingandjeeringoftheUngodlyandDissolute，“
hescreamed，“woetoyou！Isay——woetoyou！WhathavesuchasYOUtodowithmypreviousstateofunregeneracy？“
“Nothing，“saidthecolonelblandly，“unlessthatstatewerealsotheSTATEOFARKANSAS！Then，sir，asaformermemberoftheArkansasBAR——Imightbeabletoassistyourmemory——and——er——evencorroborateyourconfession。“
Butheretheenthusiasticadherentsofthepreacher，vaguelyconsciousofsomedangertotheiridol，gatheredthreateninglyroundtheplatformfromwhichhehadpromptlyleapedintotheirmidst，leavingthecolonelalone，tofacetheseaofangryupturnedfaces。Butthatgallantwarriorneveralteredhischaracteristicpose。Behindhimloomedthereputationofthedozenduelshehadfought，thegold-headedstickonwhichheleanedwasbelievedtocontaineighteeninchesofshiningsteel——andthepeopleofLaurelSpringhaddiscretion。
Hesmiledsuavely，steppedjauntilydown，andmadehiswaytotheentrancewithoutmolestation。
ButherehewasmetbyBlairandSlocum，andadozeneagerquestions:——
“Whatwasit？““Whathadhedone？““WHOwashe？“
“Ablankshyster，whohadswindledthewidowsandorphansinArkansasandescapedfromjail。“
“Andhisnameisn’tBrown？“
“No，“saidthecolonelcurtly。
“Whatisit？“
“Thatisamatterwhichconcernsonlymyselfandhim，sir，“saidthecolonelloftily；“butforwhichIam——er——personallyresponsible。“
AwildideatookpossessionofBlair。
“Andyousayhewasanoteddesperado？“hesaidwithnervoushesitation。
Thecolonelglared。
“Desperado，sir！Never！Blankitall！——amean，psalm-singing，crawling，sneakthief！“
AndBlairfeltrelievedwithoutknowingexactlywhy。
Thenextdayitwasknownthatthepreacher，GabrielBrown，hadleftLaurelSpringonanurgent“Gospelcall“elsewhere。
ColonelStarbottlereturnedthatnightwithhisfriendstothecountytown。Strangetosay，amajorityoftheaudiencehadnotgraspedthefullsignificanceofthecolonel’sunseemlyinterruption，andthosewhohad，aspartisans，keptitquiet。
Blair，torturedbydoubt，hadanewdelicacyaddedtohishesitation，whichlefthimhelplessuntilthewidowshouldtaketheinitiativeinexplanation。
Asuddensummonsfromhispatientattheloggers’campthenextdaybroughthimagaintothefatefulredwoods。Buthewasvexedandmystifiedtofind，onarrivingatthecamp，thathehadbeenmadethevictimofsomestupidblunder，andthatnomessagehadbeensentfromthere。HewasreturningabstractedlythroughthewoodswhenhewasamazedatseeingatalittledistancebeforehimtheflutterofMrs。MacGlowrie’swell-knowndarkgreenridinghabitandthefigureoftheladyherself。Herdogwasnotwithher，neitherwastherevivalpreacher——orhemighthavethoughtthewholevisionatrickofhismemory。Butsheslackenedherpace，andhewasobligedtoreinupabreastofherinsomeconfusion。
“IhopeIwon’tshockyouagainbyridingalonethroughthewoodswithaman，“shesaidwithalightlaugh。
Nevertheless，shewasquitepaleasheanswered，somewhatcoldly，thathehadnorighttobeshockedatanythingshemightchoosetodo。
“ButyouWEREshocked，foryourodeawaythelasttimewithoutspeaking，“shesaid；“andyet“——shelookedupsuddenlyintohiseyeswithasmilelessface——“thatmanyousawmewithoncehadabetterrighttoridealonewithmethananyotherman。Hewas“——
“Yourlover？“saidBlairwithbrutalbrevity。
“Myhusband！“returnedMrs。MacGlowrieslowly。
“ThenyouareNOTawidow，“gaspedBlair。
“No。Iamonlyadivorcedwoman。ThatiswhyIhavehadtolivealiehere。Thatman——thathypocrite——whosesecretwasonlyhalfexposedtheothernight，wasmyhusband——divorcedfrommebythelaw，when，anescapedconvict，hefledwithanotherwomanfromtheStatethreeyearsago。“Herfaceflushedandwhitenedagain；sheputupherhandblindlytoherstrayinghair，andforaninstantseemedtoswayinthesaddle。
ButBlairasquicklyleapedfromhishorse，andwasbesideher。
“Letmehelpyoudown，“hesaidquickly，“andrestyourselfuntilyouarebetter。“Beforeshecouldreply，heliftedhertenderlytothegroundandplacedheronamossystumpalittledistancefromthetrail。Hercolorandafaintsmilereturnedtohertroubledface。
“Hadwenotbettergoon？“shesaid，lookingaround。“IneverwentsofarastositdowninthewoodswithHIMthatday。“
“Forgiveme，“hesaidpleadingly，“but，ofcourse，Iknewnothing。
Idislikedthemanfrominstinct——Ithoughthehadsomepoweroveryou。“
“Hehasnone——exceptthesecretthatwouldalsohaveexposedhimself。“
“Butothersknewit。ColonelStarbottlemusthaveknownhisname？
Andyet“——asherememberedhestammered——“herefusedtotellme。“
“Yes，butnotbecauseheknewhewasmyhusband，butbecauseheknewheborethesamename。Hethinks，aseveryonedoes，thatmyhusbanddiedinSanFrancisco。Themanwhodiedtherewasmyhusband’scousin——adesperatemanandanotedduelist。“
“AndYOUassumedtobeHISwidow？“saidtheastoundedBlair。
“Yes，butdon’tblamemetoomuch，“shesaidpathetically。“Itwasawild，asillydeceit，butitwaspartlyforceduponme。ForwhenIfirstarrivedacrosstheplains，atthefrontier，Iwasstillbearingmyhusband’sname，andalthoughIwasaloneandhelpless，I
foundmyselfstrangelywelcomedandrespectedbythoserudefrontiersmen。ItwasnotlongbeforeIsawitwasbecauseIwaspresumedtobethewidowofALLENMacGlowrie——whohadjustdiedinSanFrancisco。Iletthemthinkso，forIknew——whattheydidnot——
thatAllen’swifehadseparatedfromhimandmarriedagain，andthatmytakinghisnamecoulddonoharm。Iacceptedtheirkindness；theygavememyfirststartinbusiness，whichbroughtmehere。Itwasnotmuchofadeceit，“shecontinued，withaslighttrembleofherprettylip，“toprefertopassasthewidowofadeaddesperadothantobeknownasthedivorcedwifeofalivingconvict。Ithashurtnoone，andithassavedmejustnow。“
“Youwereright！Noonecouldblameyou，“saidBlaireagerly，seizingherhand。
Butshedisengageditgently，andwenton:——
“AndnowyouwonderwhyIgavehimameetinghere？“
“Iwonderatnothingbutyourcourageandpatienceinallthissuffering！“saidBlairfervently；“andatyourforgivingmeforsocruellymisunderstandingyou。“
“Butyoumustlearnall。WhenIfirstsawMacGlowrieunderhisassumedname，Ifainted，forIwasterrifiedandbelievedheknewI
washereandhadcometoexposemeevenathisownrisk。ThatwaswhyIhesitatedbetweengoingawayoropenlydefyinghim。ButitappearshewasmorefrightenedthanIatfindingmehere——hehadsupposedIhadchangedmynameafterthedivorce，andthatMrs。
MacGlowrie，LaurelSpring，washiscousin’swidow。WhenhefoundoutwhoIwashewaseagertoseemeandagreeuponamutualsilencewhilehewashere。Hethoughtonlyofhimself，“sheaddedscornfully，“andColonelStarbottle’srecognitionofhimthatnightastheconvictedswindlerwasenoughtoputhimtoflight。“
“Andthecolonelneversuspectedthatyouwerehiswife？“saidBlair。
“Never！Hesupposedfromthenamethathewassomerelationofmyhusband，andthatwaswhyherefusedtotellit——formysake。Thecolonelisanoldfogy——andpompous——butagentleman——asgoodastheymakethem！“
AslightlyjealousuneasinessandagreatersenseofshamecameoverBlair。
“Iseemtohavebeentheonlyonewhosuspectedanddidnotaidyou，“hesaidsadly，“andyetGodknows“——
Thewidowhadputupherslimhandinhalf-smiling，half-patheticinterruption。