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“Howbeautiful！howIloveit！“whisperedthegirl“But，oh，howbigitis！“Andsheleanedagainstherloverforaninstant。Itwasherspiritseekingshelter。To-day，thisvastbeauty，thisprimalcalm，hadinitforhersomethingalmostofdread。Thesmall，comfortable，greenhillsofhomerosebeforeher。SheclosedhereyesandsawVermont。avillagestreet，andthepost-office，andIvycoveringanoldfrontdoor，andhermotherpickingsomeyellowrosesfromabush。
Atasound，hereyesquicklyopened；andherewasherloverturnedinhissaddle，watchinganotherhorsemanapproach。ShesawtheVirginian’shandinacertainposition，andknewthathispistolwasready。Buttheothermerelyovertookandpassedthem，astheystoodatthebrowofthehill。
ThemanhadgivenonenodtotheVirginian，andtheVirginianonetohim；andnowhewasalreadybelowthemonthedescendingroad。
ToMollyWoodhewasastranger；butshehadseenhiseyeswhenhenoddedtoherlover，andsheknew，evenwithoutthepistol，thatthiswasnotenmityatfirstsight。Itwasnotindeed。Fiveyearsofgatheredhatehadlookedoutoftheman’seyes。Andsheaskedherloverwhothiswas。
“Oh，“saidhe，easily，“justamanIseenowandthen。“
“IshisnameTrampas？“saidMollyWood。
TheVirginianlookedatherinsurprise。“Why，wherehaveyouseenhim？“heasked。
“Nevertillnow。ButIknew。“
“Mygracious！Yu’nevertoldmeyu’hadmind-readingpowers。“Andhesmiledserenelyather。
“IknewitwasTrampasassoonasIsawhiseyes。“
“Mygracious！“herloverrepeatedwithindulgentirony。“Imustbemightycarefulofmyeyeswhenyou’relookin’at’em。“
“Ibelievehedidthatmurder，“saidthegirl。
“Whosemindareyu’readin’now？“hedrawledaffectionately。
Buthecouldnotjokeheroffthesubject。Shelookhisstronghandinhers，tremulously，somuchofitasherlittlehandcouldhold。“Iknowsomethingaboutthat——that——lastautumn，“shesaid，shrinkingfromwordsmoredefinite。“AndIknowthatyouonlydid——“
“WhatIhadto，“hefinished，verysadly，butsternly，too。
“Yes，“sheasserted，keepingholdofhishand。“Isupposethat——lynching——“(shealmostwhisperedtheword)“istheonlyway。Butwhentheyhadtodiejustforstealinghorses，itseemssowickedthatthismurderer——“
“Whocanproveit？“askedtheVirginian。
“Butdon’tyouknowit？“
“Iknowaheapo’thingsinsidemyheart。Butthat’snotproving。
Therewasonlythebody，andthehoofprints——andwhatfolksguessed。“
“Hewasneverevenarrested！“thegirlsaid。
“No。Hehelpedelectthesheriffinthatcounty。“
ThenMollyventuredastepinsidetheborderofherlover’sreticence。“Isaw——“shehesitated，“justnow，Isawwhatyoudid。“
Hereturnedtohiscaressingirony。“You’llhavemeplumbscaredifyoukeeponseein’things。“
“Youhadyourpistolreadyforhim。“
“Why，IbelieveIdid。Itwasmightyunnecessary。“AndtheVirginiantookoutthepistolagain，andshookhisheadoverit，likeonewhohasbeencaughtinablunder。
Shelookedathim，andknewthatshemuststepoutsidehisreticenceagain。Byloveandhersurrendertohimtheirpositionshadbeenexchanged。
Hewasnotnow，asthroughhislongcourtinghehadbeen，herhalf-obeying，half-refractoryworshipper。Shewasnolongerhishalf-indulgent，half-scornfulsuperior。Herbetterbirthandschoolingthathadoncebeenweaponstokeephimathisdistance，orbringheroffvictoriousintheirencounters，hadgivenwaybeforetheonsetofthenaturalmanhimself。Sheknewhercow-boylover，withallthathelacked，tobemorethanevershecouldbe，withallthatshehad。Hewasherworshipperstill，buthermaster，too。Thereforenow，againstthebafflingsmilehegaveher，shefeltpowerless。Andonceagainapangofyearningforhermothertobenearherto-dayshotthroughthegirl。ShelookedfromheruntamedmantotheuntameddesertofWyoming，andthetownwhereshewastotakehimasherweddedhusband。Butforhissakeshewo
