Mr。McLeanwasintheticket-office，wherethenewspaperhadtransientlyremindedhimofpolitics。“WallStreet，“hewasexplainingtotheagent，“hasbeenlunchedonbythemRoss-childs，andthey’removingon。FeedingalongtoChicago。Wewant——“Herehenoticedmeand，dragginghisgauntletoff，shookmyhandwithhislustygrasp。
　　“Youreldestsonjustsaidyouwereinhastetofindme，“Iremarked。
　　“Loseyou，hemeant。Thekidgetshiswordstwisted。“
　　“Didn’tknowyouwereafather，Mr。McLean，“simperedtheagent。
　　Linfixedhiseyeontheman。“Andyoudon’tknowitnow，“saidhe。Thenheremovedhiseye。“Let’sgrub，“headdedtome。Myfrienddidnotwalktothehotel，butslowlyroundandabout，withafaceovercast。“Billyisagoodkid，“hesaidatlength，and，stopping，begantokicksmallmoundsinthedust。Politicsfloatedlightlyoverhim，butherewasamatterdwellingwithhim，heavyandreal。“He’sdeadstuckonbeingacow-puncher，“hepresentlysaid。
　　“Someday——“Ibegan。
　　“Hedon’twanttowaitthatlong，“Linsaid，andsmiledaffectionately。
　　“And，anyhow，whatis’someday’？Somedaywepuncherswillnotbehere。
　　Thelivingwillbescattered，andthedead——well，they’llbeallright。
　　Haveyu’studiedthewirefence？It’sspreadingtocatchuslikenetsdothesalmonintheColumbiaRiver。Nomoresalmon，nomorecow-punchers，“
　　statedMr。McLean，sententiously；andhiswordsmademesad，thoughI
　　knowthatprogresscannotsparelandandwaterforsuchthings。“ButBilly，“Linresumed，“hasagreedtoschoolagainwhenitstartsupinthefall。HetakeshismedicinebecauseIwanthimto。“Affectioncreptanewoverthecow-puncher’sface。“Hecanlearnbookswiththequickestwhenhewants，thatBearCreekschool-marmsays。Buthe’doughttohavearegularmothertill——tillIcandoforhim，yu’know。It’sonwholesomehimseeingandhearingtheboys——andme，andmewhenIforget!——butshucks!howcanIfixit？Billywassureenoughdroppedanddeserted。ButwhenIfoundhimthelittlecalfcouldrunandnoticelikeeverything!“
　　“Ishouldhateyourcontract，Lin，“saidI。“Adopting’satouch-and-gobusinessevenwhenamanhasahome。“
　　“I’llfillthecontract，youbet!Iwishthelittleson-of-a-gunwasmine。I’maheapmorenaturaltohimthanthatpairofdrunkardsthatgothim。Helikesme：Ithinkhedoes。I’vehadtolickhimnowandthen，butLord!hisbadnessisallright——notsneaky。I’lltakehimhuntingnextmonth，andthentheforeman’swifeatSunkCreekboardshimtillschool。
　　Onlywhentheymove，JudgeHenry’llmakehisVirginiamanforeman——andhe’sgotnowomantolookafterBilly，yu’see。“
　　“He’saskingonehardenough，“saidI，digressing。
　　“Ohyes；asking!Talkofadopting——“saidMr。McLean，andhiswide-open，hazeleyeslookedawayashecougheduneasily。Thenabruptlylookingatmeagain，hesaid：“Don’tyougetoffanymoretruckabouteldestsonandthat，willyu’，friend？Theboysarejoshingmenow——notthatIcareforwhatmighteasyenoughbeso，butthere’sBilly。Maybehe’dnotmind，butmaybehewouldafterawhile；andIamkindo’seton——well——hedidn’thaveagoodtimetillheshookthathomeofhis，andI’mgoingtomakethisoldbitchofaworldpayhimwhatsheoweshim，ifIcan。Nowyou’lldropjoshing，won’tyu’？“Hisforeheadwasmoistovergettingthethingsaidandlayingbaresomuchofhissoul。
　　“Andsotheworldowesusagoodtime，Lin？“saidI。
　　Helaughedshortly。“Shemusthavebeendeadbroke，then，quiteawhile，youbet!Ohno。MaybeIusedtotravelonthatbasis。Butseehere“Linlaidhishandonmyshoulder，“ifyoucan’texpectagoodtimeforyourselfinreason，youcansuremakethekidshappyouto’reason，can’tyu’？“
　　Ifairlyopenedmymouthathim。
　　“Ohyes，“hesaid，laughinginthatshortwayagainandhetookhishandoffmyshoulder；“I’vebeenthinkingawonderfullotsincewemetlast。
　　IguessIknowsomethingsyu’haven’tgottoyetyourself——Why，there’sagirl!“
　　“Thatthereis!“saidI。“Andcertainlytheworldowesherabetter——“
　　“She’safine-looker，“interruptedMr。McLean，payingmenofurtherattention。Herethedecrepit，straw-hattedproprietoroftheHotelBrunswickstuckhisbeardoutofthedooranduttered“Supper!“withashrillcroak，atwhichthegirlrose。
　　“Come!“saidLin，“let’shurry!“
　　ButIhookedmyfingersinhisbelt，andinspiteofhisplaintiveoathsatmylosinghimthebestseatatthetable，toldhiminthreewordsthesister’sdevotedjourney。
　　“NateBuckner!“heexclaimed。“Himwithadecentsister!“
　　“It’stheotherwayround，“saidI。“Herwithhimforabrother!“
　　“Hegoestothepenitentiarythisweek，“saidLin。“Hehadnomorecashtostakehislawyerwith，andthelawyerlostinterestinhim。SohissistercouldhavewaitedforherconvictawaybackatJoliet，andsavedtimeandmoney。Howdidsheactwhenyu’toldher？“
　　“I’venottoldher。“
　　“Not？Tookindo’notyourbusiness？Well，well!You’doughttoknowbetter’nme。Onlyitdon’tseemrighttolether——no，sir；it’snotright，either。PutitherbrotherwasdeadandMiss。Fligg’shusbandwouldlikedearlytomakehimdead，you’dnotlethercomeslapupagainstthenewsunwarned。Youwouldtellherhewassick，andstarthergently。“
　　“Death’sdifferent，“saidI。
　　“Shucks!Andshe’stofindhimcaged，andwaitingforstripesandashavedhead？Howd’yu’knowshemightn’thatethatworse’nifhe’dbeenjustshotlikeamaninahusbandscrape，insteadofjailedlikeaskunkforthieving？No，sir，shemustn’t。Thinkofhowit’llbe。Quickasthestagepullsupfronto’theBuffalopost-office，plumpshe’llbedownaheadofthemail-sacks，inquiringafterherbrother，andallthatcrowdaroundstaring。Why，wecan’tletherdothat；shecan’tdothat。Ifyoudon’tfeelsointerfering，I’mgoodforthisjobmyself。“AndMr。McLeantooktheleadandmarchedjinglingintosupper。
　　Theseathehadcovetedwasvacant。Oneithersidethegirlwereemptychairs，twoorthree；forwiththatclean，shyrespectofthefrontierthatdivinesandevadesagoodwoman，thedustycompanyhadsatitselfatadistance，andMr。McLean’sbestseatwasopentohim。Yethehadveeredawaytotheothersideofthetable，andhisusuallyrovingeyeattemptednogallantry。Heatesedately，anditwasnotuntilafterlongweeksandmanyhappeningsthatMissBucknertoldLinshehadknownhewaslookingatherthroughthewholeofthismeal。Thestraw-hattedproprietorcameandwent，bearingbeefsteakhammeredflattomakeittender。Thegirlseemedtheonehappypersonamongus；forsupperwasgoingforwardwiththeinvariablealkalietiquette，allfacesbroodingandfeedingamidadishearteningsilenceasofguiltorbereavementthatspringsfromIhaveneverbeenquitesurewhat——perhapsreversiontothenativeanimalabsorbedinhismeat，perhapsalittlefromeveryguest’suneasinesslesthedrinkhiscoffeewrongorstumbleintheacceptedusesofthefork。
　　Indeed，adiffident，uncleansedyouthnearestMissBucknerpresentlywipedhismouthuponthecloth；andMr。McLean，knowingbetterthanthat，eyedhimforthisconductinthepresenceofalady。Thelivelystrengthofthebuttermust，Ithink，havereachedallintheroom；atanyrate，thetable-clothlad，troubledbyMr。McLean’seye，nowrelievedthegeneralsilencebyobserving，chattily：
　　“Say，friends，thatbutterain’tinnotrance。“
　　“Ifit’stoorichforyou，“croakedtheenragedproprietor，“useaxle-dope。“
　　Thecompanycontinuedgravelyfeeding，whileIstruggledtopreservethedecorumofsadness，andMissBuckner’sfacewasalsounsteady。ButsternnessmantledinthecountenanceofMr。McLean，untiltheharmlessboy，embarrassedtopieces，offeredtheuntastedsmelling-dishtoLin，tome，helpedhimself，andfinallythrusttheplateatthegirl，saying，inhisTexasidiom，“Havebutter。“
　　Hespokeintheshellvoiceofadolescence，andon“butter“crackedanoctaveupintothetreble。MissBucknerwasspeechless，andcouldonlyshakeherheadattheplate。
　　Mr。McLean，however，thoughtshewasoffended。“Shewouldn’tchoosefornone，“hesaidtotheyouth，withappallingcalm。“Thankyu’mosttodeath。“
　　“Iguess，“flutedpoorTexas，inadovefalsetto，“itwouldgoslickerrubbedoutsidethanswallered。“
　　AtthisMissBucknerbrokefromthetableandfledoutofthehouse。
　　“Youdon’tseemtoknowanything，“observedMr。McLean。“Whattoy-shopdidyouescapefrom？“
　　“Windhimup!Windhimup!“saidtheproprietor，stickinghisheadinfromthekitchen。
　　“Ah，what’sthematterwiththisoutfit？“screamedtheboy，furiously。
　　“Can’tyu’leaveamaneat？Can’tyu’leavehimbe？Youmakemesick!“
　　Andheflouncedoutwithhisyoungboots。
　　Allthewhilethecompanyfedonunmoved。Presentlyoneremarked，“Who’shiringhim？“
　　“TheC。Y。outfit，“saidanother。
　　“Half-circleL。，“athirdcorrected。
　　“Iseenonelikehimonced，“saidthefirst，takinghishatfrombeneathhischair。“UpintheBlackHillshewas。Eighteenseventy-nine。Gosh!“
　　Andhewanderedoutuponhisbusiness。Onebyonetheothersalsosilentlydispersed。
　　Upongoingout，LinandIfoundtheboypacingupanddown，eagerlyintalkwithMissBuckner。Shehadmadefriendswithhim，andhewasnowsmootheddownanddeeplyabsorbed，beingledbyhertotellherabouthimself。ButonLin’sapproachhisfaceclouded，andhemadeoffforthecorrals，displayingasullenback，whileIwaspresentingMr。McLeantothelady。
　　Overtakenbyhiscow-punchershyness，Linwasgreetingherwithungainlyceremony，whenshebeganatonce，“You’llexcuseme，butIjusthadtohavemylaugh。“
　　“That’sallright，m’m，“saidhe；“don’tmentionit。“
　　“Forthatboy，youknow——“
　　“I’llfixhim，m’m。He’llnotinsultyu’nomore。I’llspeaktohim。“
　　“Now，pleasedon’t!Why——why——youwereeverybitasbad!“MissBucknerpealedout，joyously。“Itwasthetwoofyou。Ohdear!“
　　Mr。McLeanlookedcrestfallen。“Ihadno——Ididn’tgoto——“
　　“Why，therewasnoharm!Toseehimmeansowellandyoumeansowell，and——IknowIoughttobehavebetter!“
　　“No，yu’oughtn’t!“saidLin，withsuddenardor；andthen，inavoiceofdeprecation，“You’llthinkusplumbignorant。“
　　“Youknowenoughtobekindtofolks，“saidshe。
　　“We’dliketo。“
　　“It’stheonlythingmakestheworldgoround!“shedeclared，withanemotionthatIhadheardinhertoneonceortwicealready。Butshecaughtherselfup，andsaidgaylytome，“Andwhere’sthathouseyouweregoingtobuildforalonegirltosleepin？“
　　“I’mafraidthefoundationsaren’tlaidyet，“saidI。
　　“Nowyougentlemenneedn’tbotheraboutme。“
　　“We’llhaveto，m’m。Youain’tusedtoSepar。“
　　“Oh，Iamno——tenderfoot，don’tyoucallthem？“Shewhippedoutherpistol，andhelditatthecow-puncher，laughing。
　　Thiswouldhavegivennopleasuretome；butoverLin’sfeatureswentaglowofdelight，andhestoodgazingatthepointedweaponandthegirlbehindit。“My!“hesaid，atlength，almostinawhisper，“she’sgotthedroponme!“
　　“IreckonI’dbeafraidtoshootthatoneofyours，“saidMissBuckner。
　　“Butthishitsatargetrealgoodandstraightatfifteenyards。“Andshehandedittohimforinspection。
　　Hereceivedit，hugelygrinning，andturneditoverandover。“My!“hemurmuredagain。“Why，shucks!“HelookedatMissBucknerwithstarkrapture，caressingthepolishedrevolveratthesametimewithafond，unconsciousthumb。“YouholditjustassteadyasIcould，“hesaidwithpride，andadded，insinuatingly，“Icouldlearnyu’theprofessionaldropinamorning。Thishereisalittledandygun。“
　　“You’dnottrade，though，“saidshe，“forallyourflattery。“
　　“Willyu’trade？“pouncedLin。“Won’tyu’？“
　　“Now，Mr。McLean，Iamafraidyou’rethoughtless。Howcouldagirllikemeeverholdthatawful。45Coltsteady？“
　　“Sheknowsthebrands，too!“criedLin，inecstasy。“Seehere，“heremarkedtomewithamannerthatsmackedofcommand，“we’relosingtimerightnow。Yougoandtelltheagenttohustleandfixhisroomupforalady，andI’llbringheralong。“