“What's the matter, little girl?” he asked, tenderly. “I declare you are quivering all over.” She sat up. Pushing him back from her, and twisting her hand from his grasp, she looked straight into his eyes. “Jeff Wade!” she gasped. “Jeff Wade!--have you--did you--” “Oh, I _see!_” he laughed, awkwardly. “I might have known you would hear about that. But never mind, little girl, the whole of it was gossip--there was nothing in it!” “You mean--oh, Nelson, you say that you and he did not--” “Not a bit of it,” he laughed again, mechanically. “Everybody in town this morning was declaring that Jeff Wade was going to kill me on sight, but it wasn't true. I haven't seen him to-day.” “Oh, Nelson, I heard that he'd actually killed you.” “Killed me? Oh, that's a good joke!” he laughed. “But you must promise me never again to pay any attention to such stuff. The idea! Why, Cynthia, don't you know better than to believe everything that comes by word of mouth in this section? I'll bet somebody started that who really wanted me out of the way. I've got enemies, I know that.” She drew herself still farther from him, eying him half suspiciously through the darkness. Her lips were parted; she was getting her breath rapidly, like a feverish child. “But he was mad at you, I know that. You need not tell me an untruth.” “A man is almost justifiable,” he laughed, “when he wants to keep such dirty stuff from young, refined ears like yours. Let's not talk of it any more, little girl. Why spoil this delightful meeting with thoughts of such things? You have no idea how much I've wanted to see you.” “Then”--she put out her cold hand to the latticework and drew herself up--“why did you whistle for me? You said you'd--you'd call me if you--you really needed me badly.” “Well, that's what I did to-night, I assure you,” he laughed. “I felt like I just _had_ to see you and talk with you. You see, I knew this thing would finally get to you, and that you would worry and perhaps lose sleep over it. I knew when you saw me with a whole skin and solid bones that you'd--” “You flattered yourself that I'd care! Huh, I see! I suppose I'd hate to see _any one_ shot down in cold blood at a moment's notice like that.” He caught her hand and laughingly attempted to draw her to him again, but she remained leaning against the door-frame. “You are not going to be mad at me,” he said, pleadingly, “now, are you?” “No, but I'm going into the house I told you I'd not meet you here after all the others have gone to bed, when you whistled as you would to your dog, and I want you to know I would not have come if I had not been over-excited. Good-night.” “Wait a moment. I really did want to see you particularly, Cynthia--to make an engagement. The young folks are all going over to Pine Grove next Sunday afternoon to attend meeting, and I want to take you in my new buggy behind my Kentucky horse.” “You couldn't wait till to-morrow to ask me,” she said, interrogatively.