"It's different in real life," sez I. "I like to read about Claud myself, but I wouldn't want to slaughter men in the quantities he does." "You killed a man oncet yourself," sez she. "When?" sez I. "You killed at least one o' the Brophy gang with the butt of your gun," sez she. "It couldn't be proved," sez I. "It couldn't be denied," sez she. "If that's all you think it is I'm goin' to ask him." "Supposin' your mother had made him promise not to tell you until you came of age,--you know what store he sets on keepin' his word,--would you be glad to know 'at you had made him break it? This Barbara might have been his sister, an' some one else might have been your mother." "Oh, I see it now--my mother was the Creole Belle, the beautiful lady. He allus said she was beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the world--" She sat there with her eyes flashin', but I didn't want to let her make up things 'at wasn't so an' then be disappointed. "Who do you suppose George was, an' Jack?" sez I quiet. She drew her brows together an' sat diggin' her spur into the dirt. "That's so, too," she said, thinkin' aloud. "But Barbara certainly did have something to do with me, an' I wisht I knew! Oh, I wish I could grow as big as I feel--I hate this bein' a child. I hate it!" "Will you put the letter back an' try to forget it?" I said at last. "I'll put it back at once, I'll give him the key at once; that is, I'll slip it into his pocket, an' I won't pester him about it--now; but you got to promise to tell me if you ever find it out. Will ya?" "Yes," sez I. "If I ever find it all out I'll tell you, honest across my heart." "An' you won't say nothin' about this letter to Daddy, until I let you?" she said, fixin' her eyes on me. "No, I won't say a word about that until you tell me to," sez I. "Now, then, let's play tag goin' back to the house," she said, with her lip stiff again. Oh, she had a heart in her, that child had. "You know the pinto has Starlight beat on turns an' twists," sez I. "Yes," she sez, "an' on a two-hundred mile race, too." She played away through the summer an' never spoke a word on the subject again; but she hid it most too careful, and Jabez saw the' was somethin' on her mind. "Have you any idea what the child's thinkin' about?" he asked me one day when we was figurin' some on the beef round-up. I didn't answer straight off, an' he noticed it. "What is she studyin' about?" sez he, mighty shrewd. "How can a body tell what that child is studyin' about?" sez I. "You're with her most of the time--fact is, about all you do is to play with her these days." "Any time my work here don't suit you," I began; but he snaps in, "It ain't a question o' work. If you amuse her you're worth more to me'n any other ten men; but I have some rights. I want to know what you think." "Have you asked her?" sez I. "I'm askin' you," sez he.