"Lafe!" Hetty protested. She was flurried and much frightened, for never before had she seen him really angry. She brought her horse against his, so that they could see each other plainly. There must have been signs of weakening in him, for she suddenly flicked her reins upon his riding boot and said: "Perhaps this'll teach you." "Teach me what?" asked Lafe uncertainly. "Never mind. You ask Mrs. Horne. She'll tell you all about it." Peck had drawn near. He entertained fears for Mrs. Johnson, but none for himself. When he heard this, he laughed. He was disappointed, but he had seen a lot of the world. "So that's it," said Peck. "You little rascal." He pinched Hetty lightly on the cheek, but Lafe did not object. Instead, he looked rather sheepish and drew alongside his wife in proper humility. At a word from her they galloped to the front, passed the others of the party, and took charge of the pack-animal. Peck lighted a cigar and joined Prouty. He was smiling and seemed not at all put out. I fell back to ride with old man Horne. Hetty and Lafe were far in the lead, going at a long lope and beating the mule joyously with a rope-end when it lagged in its pace. She threw a flower at him and he caught it and stuck it inside the bosom of his shirt. Old man Horne departed at dawn on some cow business, and when his wife went to bed that night, she left injunctions that she was on no account to be disturbed before eleven in the morning. Yet at midnight she was wakened by a knock at her door. "Wha-what--who's there?" she cried. Mrs. Vining padded into the room in her bare feet and crawled into bed beside her friend, snuggling against her shoulder. It was black in the room and the older woman winked solemnly at the wall. She waited with patience for the other to speak her mind. "I couldn't sleep," said Mrs. Vining. "I could." "Martha, I've been so catty." "Yes, you have," said Mrs. Horne stoutly. "Well, you needn't tell me like that. I'm sure there was nothing to make all this--" "Don't let's go over all that again, Judy. Why did you do it? That's what I want to know. The whole thing was ridiculous." "Because I did--that's why. And one has to have _some_ amusement out here." "Well! that _is_ nice." "You know I didn't mean it that way, Martha." There was silence, so long that Mrs. Horne thought her friend must be sleeping. Gradually she became aware that she was crying. "Judy, what's the matter, dear?" She drew the younger woman closer and patted her in motherly fashion. "No-nothing. She's--she's so pretty and I'm getting--getting old. Martha, it's lonely. I can't stand it. I'm only thirty-four and all alone. I'm afraid to look ahead. Think of all the dreadful years. You can't blame me for--sometimes I think I'll--" Mrs. Horne comforted her as she would have comforted a daughter. She was thinking intently as she soothed. Presently she asked: "Judy, have you ever heard from Harry?" "Never." "Don't you know where he is?"