The tears came to the old woman's eyes, and her voice broke as she replied: "I knew you would say that, Lee Virginia, but all the same I don't intend to have you do any such thing. You've got to cut loose from me altogether, because some fine chap is going to come along one of these days, and he won't want me even as a _step_-mother-in-law. No, I have decided that you and me had better live apart. I'll get you a place to live up in Sulphur, where I can visit you now and again; but I guess I am elected to stay right here in the Fork. They don't like me, and I don't like them; but I have kind o' got used to their ways of looking at me sidewise; they don't matter as much as it would up there in the city." Lee turned back wistfully toward the story of her mother. "Where did my mother meet my father? Do you know that?" "No, I don't. It was a runaway match, Ed said. I never did know who her folks were--only I know they thought she was marrying the wrong man." The girl sighed as her mind took in the significance of her mother's coming to this wild country, leaving all that she knew and loved behind. "Poor little mother. It must have been very hard for her." "I am afraid she did have a hard time, for Ed admitted to me that he hadn't so much as a saddle when he landed in the State. He hadn't much when I met him first, but everybody liked him. He was one of the handsomest men that ever jumped a saddle. But he was close-mouthed. You never could get anything out of him that he didn't want to tell, and I was never able to discover what he had been doing in the southern part of the State." As she pondered on her changed relationship to Lize, Lee's heart lightened. It _would_ make a difference to Ross. It would make a difference to the Redfields. Traitorous as it seemed, it was a great relief--a joy--to know that her own mother, her real mother, had been "nice." "She _must_ have been nice or Lize would not have said so," she reasoned, recalling that her stepmother had admitted her feeling of jealousy. At last Lize rose. "Well, now, dearie, I reckon we had better turn in. It is getting chilly and late." As they were about to part at the door of the tent Virginia took Lize's face between her hands. "Good-night, mother," she said, and kissed her, to show her that what she had said would not make any difference. But Lize was not deceived. This unwonted caress made perfectly plain to her the relief which filled the girl's heart. * * * * * Lee Virginia was awakened some hours later by a roaring, crackling sound, and by the flare of a yellow light upon her tent. Peering out, she saw flames shooting up through the roof of the ranger's cabin, while beside it, wrapped in a blanket, calmly contemplating it, stood Cavanagh with folded arms. A little nearer to the bridge Redfield was sitting upon an upturned box.