BLANCHE
couldn't blame the girl—she of the arm—but he must make sure she did not happen again as a substitute for something else that he wanted. Yet in spite of false appearances, in spite of a too-lively fancy, he saw he was a long stride nearer what he was after than he had been twenty-four hours ago. If only he could keep a cool head, and keep the ground he had gained with the scholar last night he thought that Rader's hypothetical friend would presently be his own. Of course there was the chance always that the man on the road might play turncoat, and put the scholar's friend on his guard. To find this fellow, this first informer, apparently such a familiar here among the Raders, was disconcerting. He was called by his first name. It might be that he was engaged to the young woman whom he had brought back last night. Carron discarded his last idea promptly, since as much as he had seen of her was far too fine to belong to such a clod.
He decided to abandon vain suppositions about people who were of small importance to him, and hurried his dressing. The thought of how the mare had spent the night after her hard yesterday's trip was an anxiety in his mind, and presently sent him swinging, two steps at a time, down the outside stair and toward the barn.
Voices of birds were in the air, and a pale em-
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