Nan, standing close to him, her own hand on his shoulder and her curling hair against his scarred cheek, asked questions about the incident because he seemed to be holding something back. She professed to be satisfied when he requested her to go up to her room and explained it was probably one of the men coming to tell about some petty thieving on the line or of a strike brewing among the drivers. He made so little of the incident that Nan walked up the stairs on de Spain's arm reassured. When he kissed her at her room door and turned down the stairs again, she leaned in the half-light over the banister, waving one hand at him and murmuring the last caution: "Be careful, Henry, won't you?" "Dearie, I'm always careful." "'Cause you're all I've got now," she whispered. "You're all I've got, Nan, girl." "I haven't got any home--or anything--just you. Don't go to the door yourself. Leave the front door open. Stand behind the end of the piano till you are awfully sure who it is." "What a head, Nan!" De Spain cut off the lights, threw open the front door, and in the darkness sat down on the piano stool. A heavy step on the porch, a little while later, was followed by a knock on the open door. "Come in!" called de Spain roughly. The bulk of a large man filled and obscured for an instant the opening, then the visitor stepped carefully over the threshold. "What do you want?" asked de Spain without changing his tone. He awaited with keenness the sound of the answer. "Is Henry de Spain here?" The voice was not familiar to de Spain's ear. He told himself the man was unknown to him. "I am Henry de Spain," he returned without hesitation. "What do you want?" The visitor's deliberation was reflected in his measured speaking. "I am from Thief River," he began, and his reverberating voice was low and distinct. "I left there some time ago to do some work in Morgan's Gap. I guess you know, full as well as I do, that the general office at Medicine Bend has its own investigators, aside from the division men. I was sent in to Morgan's Gap some time ago to find out who burned the Calabasas barn." "Railroad man, eh?" "For about six years." "And you report to----?" "Kennedy." De Spain paused in spite of his resolve to push the questions. While he listened a fresh conviction had flashed across his mind. "You called me up on the telephone one night last week," he said suddenly. The answer came without evasion. "I did." "I chased you across the river?" "You did." "You gave me a message from Nan Morgan that she never gave you." "I did. I thought she needed you right off. She didn't know me as I rightly am. I knew what was going on. I rode into town that evening and rode out again. It was not my business, and I couldn't let it interfere with the business I'm paid to look after. That's the reason I dodged you." "There is a chair at the left of the door; sit down. What's your name?"