His voice was a whine. The big gross man was on the verge of blubbering. He seemed ready to fall on his knees. “It’s true, Dad. He didn’t touch me,” Betty said in a low voice to her father. “Stood by, didn’t he? Never lifted a hand for you.” “Yes, but--” “You go into the house. Leave him to me,” ordered Reed. “Keep this young man here till I come back.” Betty knew when words were useless with her father. She turned away and walked to the porch. The cowpunchers with their prisoners moved toward the barn. York, ululating woe, had to be dragged. Left alone with the tramp called Tug, Betty turned to him a face of dread. “Let’s go into the house,” she said drearily. “You’d better go in. I’m taking the road now,” he said in answer. “But Father wants to see you. If you’ll wait just a little--” “I have no business with him. I don’t care to see him, now or any time.” His voice was cold and hard. “Thank you for the lemonade, Miss Reed. I’ll say good-bye.” He did not offer his hand, but as he turned away he bowed. There was nothing more for Betty to say except “Good-bye.” In a small voice of distress she murmured it. Her eyes followed him as far as the road. A sound from the barn drove her into the house, to her room, where she could cover her ears with the palms of her small brown hands. She did not want to hear any echo of what was taking place there. CHAPTER VIII A RIFT IN THE LUTE In the cool of the evening Justin Merrick drove down from the Sweetwater Dam to the Diamond Bar K ranch. It was characteristic of him that his runabout was up to date and in perfect condition. He had an expensive taste in the accessories of life, and he either got the best or did without. Hands and face were tanned from exposure to the burning sun of the Rockies, but he was smooth-shaven and immaculate in the engineer’s suit which fitted his strong, heavy-set figure so snugly. He drove with precision, as he did everything else in his well-ordered life. There was in his strength no quality of impatience or turbulence. He knew what he wanted and how to get it. That was why he had traveled so far on the road to success and would go a great way farther. To-night he anticipated two pleasant hours with Betty Reed. He would tell her about the work and how it was getting along, his difficulties with the sand formation at the head gates and how he was surmounting them. Even before she spoke, he would know from her eager eyes that she was giving him the admiration due a successful man from his sweetheart.