“Yu’lookedso——sobad，Lin。Ineverseenyu’looksobadinolddays。
Wait，now，andImusttellit。Iwishedtolaughinherfaceandsay，’Whatdoyouknowaboutlove？’SoIwalkedin。Lin，shedoesloveyus!“
“Yes，“breathedMcLean。
“Shewassittin’backinherroomatSepar。Nottheticket-office，but——“
“Iknow，“thecow-punchersaid。Hiseyeswereburning。
“It’ssnug，thewayshehasit。’Good-afternoon，’Isays。’IsthisMissJessamineBuckner？’“
Athissweetheart’snametheglowinLin’seyesseemedtoquivertoaflash。
“Andshespokepleasanttome——pleasantandgay-like。Butawomancantellsorrowinawoman’seyes。AndsheaskedmewouldIrestinherroomthere，andwhatwasmyname。’TheytellmeyouclaimtoknowitbetterthanIdo，’Isays。’TheytellmeyousayitisMrs。McLean。’Sheputherhandonherbreast，andshekeepslookin’atmewithoutneverspeaking。
’MaybeIamnotsowelcomenow，’Isays。’Oneminute，’saysshe。’Letmegetusedtoit。’Andshesatdown。
“Lin，sheisasquare-lookin’girl。I’llsaythatforher。
“Ineverthoughttositdownoncedmyself；Idon’tknowwhy，butIkep’
a-standing，andItookinthatroomofhers。Shehadflowersandthingsaroundthere，andIseenyourpicturestandingonthetable，andIseenyoursix-shooterrightbyit——and，oh，Lin，hadn’tIknowedyourfacebeforeevershedid，andthatgunyouusedtoletmeshootonBearCreek？
Ittookmethatsudden!Why，itrushedovermesoIspokerightoutdifferentfromwhatI’dmeantandwhatIhadreadyfixeduptosay。
“’Whydidyoudoit？’Isaystoher，whileshewasa-sitting。’Howcouldyouactso，andyouawoman？’Shejustsat，andhersadeyesmadememadderattheideaofher。’Youhavehadrealsorrow，’saysI，’iftheyreportcorrect。Youhaveknowedyourshareofdeath，andmisery，andhardwork，andall。GreatGod!ain’ttherethingsenoughthatcometoyusuncalledforandnatural，butyoumustrunaroundhuntin’upmorethatwasleavin’yusaloneandgivin’yusachance？Iknowedhimonced。I
knowedyourLinMcLean。Andwhenthatwasover，Iknowedforthefirsttimehowmencanbedifferent。’I’mstarted，Lin，I’mstarted。Leavemegoon，andwhenI’mthroughI’llquit。’Someof’em，anyway，’Isaystoher，’hasheartsandself-respect，andain’thogscleanthrough。’
“’Iknow，“shesays，thoughtful-like。
“AndatherwhisperingthatwayIgetsmadder。
“’Youknow!’Isaysthen。’Whatisitthatyouknow？Doyouknowthatyouhavehurtagoodman’sheart？ForoncedIhurtitmyself，thoughdifferent。Andhurtsinthemkindofheartsstays。Someheartsisthatlusciousandpastyyoucanstab’emanditclosesupsoyu’dneversuspiciontheplace——butLinMcLean!Noryetdon’tyusbelievehisisthekindthatbreaks——ifanykinddoesthat。Youmaysittillthegrayhairs，andyoumaywallupyourwomanhood，butifamanhasgotmanhoodlikehim，hewillneversittillthegrayhairs。Griefoverlosin’thebestwillnotstophimfromsearchin’forasecondbestafterawhile。Hewantsahome，andhehasgotarighttoone，’saysItoMissJessamine。
’YouhavenotwalledupLinMcLean，’Isaystoher。Wait，Lin，wait。Yusneedn’ttotellmethat’salie。Iknowamanthinkshe’swalledupforawhile。“
“Shecouldhavetoldyouitwasalie，“saidthecow-puncher。
“Shedidnot。’Lethimgetahome，’saysshe。’Iwanthimtobehappy。’
’Thatflashinyoureyestalksdifferent，’saysI。’Sureenoughyuswantshimtobehappy。Sureenough。ButnothappyalongwithMissSecondBest。’
“Lin，shelookedatmethatpiercin’!
“AndIgoeson，forIwaswoundawayup。’Andhewillbehappy，too，’I
says。’MissSecondBestwillhaveatalkwithhimaboutyourpictureandlittle“Neighbor，“whichhe’llnotsendbacktoyus，becausethehurtinhisheartisthere。Andhewillkeep’emoutofsightsomewheresafterhistalkwithMissSecondBest。’Lin，Lin，Ilaughedatthemwordsofmine，butIwasthatwoundupIwasstrangetomyself。Andshewatchin’
methatway!AndIsaystoher：’MissSecondBestwillnotbethecrazythingtothinkIamanywifeofhisstandinginherway。Hewilltellheraboutme。HewilltellhowoncedhethoughthewassolidmarriedtometillLuskcameback；andshewilldropmeoutofsightalongwiththerestthatwentnameless。Theywasnotuncomprehensibletoyou，wasthey？
Youhavelearnedsomethingbylivin’，Iguess!AndLin——yourLin，notmine，nornevermineinheartforadaysodeepashe’syournrightnow——
hehasbeengay——gayasanyI’veknowed。Why，lookatthatfaceofhis!
Couldaboywithafacelikethathelpbein’gay？Butthatdon’ttouchwhat’sthetrueLindeepdown。Norwillhisdeep-downloveforyouhinderhimlikeitwillhinderyou。Don’tyouknowmenandusisdifferentwhenitcomestopassion？We’reallonethingthen，buttheyain’tsimple。
Theykeepalongwithlotsofotherthings。Ican’tmakeyusknow，andI
guessittakesawomanlikeIhavebeentolearntheirnature。Butyoudidknowhelovedyou，andyousenthimaway，andyou’llbehomelessinyerhousewhenhehasdonetherightthingbyhimselfandfoundanothergirl。’
“Lin，allthewhileIwastalkin’allIknowedtoher，withoutknowin’
whatI’dbesayin’next，foritcomethatunexpected，shewaslookin’atmewiththemsteadyeyes。AndallshesayswhenIquitwas，’IfIsawhimIwouldtellhimtofindahome。’“
“Didn’tshetellyu’she’dmademepromisetokeepawayfromseeingher？“
askedthecow-puncherMrs。Lusklaughed。“Oh，youinnocent!“saidshe。
“ShesaidifIcameshewouldleaveSepar，“mutteredMcLean，brooding。
Againthelargewomanlaughedout，butmoreharshly。
“Ihavekeptmypromise，“Lincontinued。
“Keepitsomemore。Sithererottinginyourchairtillshegoesaway。
Maybeshe’sgone。“
“What’sthat？“saidLin。Butstillsheonlylaughedharshly。“Icouldbetherebyto-morrownight，“hemurmured。Thenhisfacesoftened。“Shewouldneverdosuchathing!“hesaid，tohimself。
Hehadforgottenthewomanatthetable。Whileshehadtoldhimmattersthatconcernedhimhehadlistenedeagerly。Nowshewasofnomoreinterestthanshehadbeenbeforeherstorywasbegun。Shelookedathiseyesashesatthinkinganddwellinguponhissweetheart。Shelookedathim，andalongingwelledupintoherface。Acertainyouthandheavybeautyrelightedthefeatures。
“Youarethesame，sameLineveryways，“shesaid。“Awomanistoomanyforyoustill，Lin!“shewhispered。
Athersummonshelookedupfromhisrevery。
“Lin，Iwouldnothavetreatedyouso。“
Thecaressthatfilledhervoicewasplain。Hislookmethersashesatquitestill，hisarmsonthetable。Thenhetookhisturnatlaughing。
“You!“hesaid。“AtleastI’vehadplentyofeducationinyou。“
“Lin，Lin，don’ttalkthatbrutaltometo-day。IfyusknowedhownearI
comeshootingmyselfwith’Neighbor。’Thatwouldhavebeenfunny!
“Iknowedyuswantedtotearthatpistoloutofmyhandbecauseitwashern。Butyusneverdidsuchthingstome，ferthere’sagentlemaninyousomewheres，Lin。Andyusdidn’tneverhitme，notevenwhenyoucometoknowmewell。AndwhenIseenyousounexpectedagainto-night，andyoujustthesameoldLin，scaringLuskwithshootingthemchickens，socomicandsplendid，Icould’a’justkilledLusksittin’inthewagon。Say，Lin，whatmadeyusdothat，anyway？“
“Ican’thardlysay，“saidthecow-puncher。“Onlynoticinghimsoturrubleanxioustoquitme——well，amanactswithoutthinking。“
“Youalwaysdid，Lin。Youwasalwaysacomicalgenius。Lin，themweregoodtimes。“
“Whichtimes？“
“Youknow。Youcan’ttellmeyouhaveforgot。“
“Ihavenotforgotmuch。What’sthesenseinthis？“
“Yusneverlovedme!“sheexclaimed。
“Shucks!“
“Lin，Lin，isitallover？YouknowyuslovedmeonBearCreek。Sayyoudid。Onlysayitwasoncethatway。“Andashesat，shecameandputherarmsroundhisneck。Foramomenthedidnotmove，lettinghimselfbeheld；andthenshekissedhim。Theplatescrashedashebeatandstruckherdownuponthetable。Hewasonhisfeet，cursinghimself。Ashewentoutofthedoor，shelaywhereshehadfallenbeneathhisfist，lookingafterhimandsmiling。
McLeanwalkeddownBoxElderCreekthroughthetreestowardthestable，whereLuskhadgonetoputthehorseinthewagon。Onceheleanedhishandagainstabigcotton-wood，andstoodstillwithhalf-closedeyes。
Thenhecontinuedonhisway。“Lusk!“hecalled，presently，andinafewstepsmore，“Lusk!“Then，ashecameslowlyoutofthetreestomeetthehusbandhebegan，withquietevenness，“Yourwifewantstoknow——“Buthestopped。Nohusbandwasthere。Wagonandhorsewerenotthere。Thedoorwasshut。Thebewilderedcow-puncherlookedupthestreamwheretheroadwent，andhelookeddown。Outoftheskywheredaylightandstarswerefaintlyshiningtogethersoundedthelongcriesofthenighthawksastheyspedandswoopedtotheirhuntinginthedusk。Fromamongthetreesbythestreamfloatedacoolerair，anddistantandclosebysoundedthesplashingwater。AboutthemeadowwhereLinstoodhishorsesfed，quietlycrunching。Hewenttothedoor，lookedin，andshutitagain。Hewalkedtohisshedandstoodcontemplatinghisownwagonalonethere。Thenheliftedawayapieceoftrailingvinefromthegateofthecorral，whiletheturkeysmovedtheirheadsandwatchedhimfromtheroof。Aropewashangingfromthecorral，andseeingit，hedroppedthevine。Heopenedthecorralgate，andwalkedquicklybackintothemiddleofthefield，wherethehorsessawhimandhisrope，andscattered。Butheranandherdedthem，whirlingtherope，andsodrovethemintothecorral，andflunghisnooseovertwo。Hedraggedtwosaddles——men’ssaddles——fromthestable，andnexthewasagainathiscabindoorwiththehorsessaddled。Shewassittingquitestillbythetablewhereshehadsatduringthemeal，nordidshespeakormovewhenshesawhimlookinatthedoor。
“Luskhasgone，“saidhe。“Idon’tknowwhatheexpectedyouwoulddo，orIwoulddo。ButwewillcatchhimbeforehegetstoDrybone。“
Shelookedathimwithherdumbstare。“Gone？“shesaid。
“Getupandride，“saidMcLean。“YouaregoingtoDrybone。“
“Drybone？“sheechoed。Hervoicewastonelessanddull。
Hemadenomoreexplanationstoher，butwentquicklyaboutthecabin。
Soonhehadsetitinorder，thedishesontheirshelves，thetableclean，thefireinthestovearranged；andallthesemovementsshefollowedwithasortofblankmechanicalpatience。Hemadeasmallbundleforhisownjourney，tieditbehindhissaddle，broughtherhorsebesideastump。Whenathissharpordershecameout，helockedhiscabinandhungthekeybyawindow，wheretravellerscouldfinditandbeathome。
Shestoodlookingwhereherhusbandhadslunkoff。Thenshelaughed。
“It’sabouthissize，“shemurmured。
Heroldloverhelpedherinsilencetomountintotheman’ssaddle——thistheyhadoftendonetogetherinformeryears——andsotheytooktheirwaydownthesilentroad。Theyhadnotmanymilestogo，andafterthefirsttwolaybehindthem，whenthehorseswerelimberedandhadbeenputtoacanter，theymadetimequickly。TheyhadsoonpassedoutofthetreesandpasturesofBoxElderandcameamongthevastlowstretchesofthegreatervalley。Notevenbydaywastheriver’scourseoftendiscerniblethroughtheridgesandcheatingsamenessofthiswilderness；andbeneaththishalf-darknessofstarsandaquartermoonthesagespreadshapelesstotheloomingmountains，ortonothing。
“Iwillaskyouonething，“saidLin，aftertenmiles。
Thewomanmadenosignofattentionassherodebesidehim。
“DidIunderstandthatshe——MissBuckner，Imean——mentionedshemightbegoingawayfromSepar？“
“HowdoIknowwhatyouunderstood？“
“Ithoughtyousaid——“
“Don’tyoubotherme，LinMcLean。“Herlaughrangout，loudandforlorn——
onebriefburstthatstartledthehorsesandthatmusthavesoundedfaracrossthesage-brush。“Youmenarerich，“shesaid。
Theyrodeon，sidebyside，andsayingnothingafterthat。TheDryboneroadwasabroadtrail，awornstripofbarenessgoingonwardovertheendlessshelvingsoftheplain，visibleeveninthislight；andpresently，movinguponitsgraynessonahillinfrontofthem，theymadeoutthewagon。Theyhastenedandovertookit。