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〃Yesthe truth。 Bess； don't misunderstand。 I haven't changed that way。 I love you still。 I'll love you more afterward。 Life will be just as sweetsweeter to us。 We'll bebe married as soon as ever we can。 We'll be happybut there's a devil in me。 A perverse； jealous devil！ Then I've queer fancies。 I forgot for a long time。 Now all those fiendish little whispers of doubt and faith and fear and hope come torturing me again。 I've got to kill them with the truth。〃
〃I'll tell you anything you want to know；〃 she replied； frankly。
〃Then by Heaven！ we'll have it over and done with！。。。Bessdid Oldring love you？〃
〃Certainly he did。〃
〃Diddid you love him？〃
〃Of course。 I told you so。〃
〃How can you tell it so lightly？〃 cried Venters； passionately。 〃Haven't you any sense ofof〃 He choked back speech。 He felt the rush of pain and passion。 He seized her in rude； strong hands and drew her close。 He looked straight into her dark…blue eyes。 They were shadowing with the old wistful light； hut they were as clear as the limpid water of the spring。 They were earnest； solemn in unutterable love and faith and abnegation。 Venters shivered。 He knew he was looking into her soul。 He knew she could not lie in that moment； but that she might tell the truth； looking at him with those eyes； almost killed his belief in purity。
〃What arewhat were you toto Oldring？〃 he panted； fiercely。
〃I am his daughter；〃 she replied； instantly。
Venters slowly let go of her。 There was a violent break in the force of his feelingthen creeping blankness。
〃Whatwas ityou said？〃 he asked； in a kind of dull wonder。
〃I am his daughter。〃
〃Oldring's daughter？〃 queried Venters； with life gathering in his voice。
〃Yes。〃
With a passionately awakening start he grasped her hands and drew her close。
〃All the timeyou've been Oldring's daughter？〃
〃Yes； of course all the timealways。〃
〃But Bess； you told meyou let me thinkI made out you wereasoso ashamed。〃
〃It is my shame；〃 she said； with voice deep and full； and now the scarlet fired her cheek。 〃I told youI'm nothingnamelessjust Bess； Oldring's girl！〃
〃I knowI remember。 But I never thought〃 he went on； hurriedly； huskily。 〃That timewhen you lay dyingyou prayedyousomehow I got the idea you were bad。〃
〃Bad？〃 she asked； with a little laugh。
She looked up with a faint smile of bewilderment and the absolute unconsciousness of a child。 Venters gasped in the gathering might of the truth。 She did not understand his meaning。
〃Bess！ Bess！〃 He clasped her in his arms； hiding her eyes against his breast。 She must not see his face in that moment。 And he held her while he looked out across the valley。 In his dim and blinded sight； in the blur of golden light and moving mist； he saw Oldring。 She was the rustler's nameless daughter。 Oldring had loved her。 He had so guarded her； so kept her from women and men and knowledge of life that her mind was as a child's。 That was part of the secretpart of the mystery。 That was the wonderful truth。 Not only was she not bad； but good； pure； innocent above all innocence in the worldthe innocence of lonely girlhood。
He saw Oldring's magnificent eyes； inquisitive； searching； softening。 He saw them flare in amaze； in gladness； with love； then suddenly strain in terrible effort of will。 He heard Oldring whisper and saw him sway like a log and fall。 Then a million bellowing； thundering voicesgunshots of conscience； thunderbolts of remorsedinned horribly in his ears。 He had killed Bess's father。 Then a rushing wind filled his ears like a moan of wind in the cliffs； a knell indeedOldring's knell。
He dropped to his knees and hid his face against Bess； and grasped her with the hands of a drowning man。
〃My God！。。。My God！。。。Oh； Bess！。。。Forgive me！ Never mind what I've donewhat I've thought。 But forgive me。 I'll give you my life。 I'll live for you。 I'll love you。 Oh； I do love you as no man ever loved a woman。 I want you to knowto remember that I fought a fight for youhowever blind I was。 I thoughtI thoughtnever mind what I thoughtbut I loved youI asked you to marry me。 Let thatlet me have that to hug to my heart。 Oh； Bess； I was driven！ And I might have known！ I could not rest nor sleep till I had this mystery solved。 God！ how things work out！〃
〃Bern； you're weaktremblingyou talk wildly；〃 cried Bess。 〃You've overdone your strength。 There's nothing to forgive。 There's no mystery except your love for me。 You have come back to me！〃
And she clasped his head tenderly in her arms and pressed it closely to her throbbing breast。
CHAPTER XIX。 FAY
At the home of Jane Withersteen Little Fay was climbing Lassiter's knee。
〃Does oo love me？〃 she asked。
Lassiter； who was as serious with Fay as he was gentle and loving； assured her in earnest and elaborate speech that he was her devoted subject。 Fay looked thoughtful and appeared to be debating the duplicity of men or searching for a supreme test to prove this cavalier。
〃Does oo love my new mower？〃 she asked； with bewildering suddenness。
Jane Withersteen laughed； and for the first time in many a day she felt a stir of her pulse and warmth in her cheek。
It was a still drowsy summer of afternoon； and the three were sitting in the shade of the wooded knoll that faced the sage…slope Little Fay's brief spell of unhappy longing for her motherthe childish； mystic gloomhad passed； and now where Fay was there were prattle and laughter and glee。 She had emerged Iron sorrow to be the incarnation of joy and loveliness。 She had growl supernaturally sweet and beautiful。 For Jane Withersteen the child was an answer to prayer； a blessing； a possession infinitely more precious than all she had lost。 For Lassiter； Jane divined that little Fay had become a religion。
〃Does oo love my new mower？〃 repeated Fay。
Lassiter's answer to this was a modest and sincere affirmative。
〃Why don't oo marry my new mower an' be my favver？〃
Of the thousands of questions put by little Fay to Lassiter the was the first he had been unable to answer。
〃FayFay； don't ask questions like that；〃 said Jane。
〃Why？〃
〃Because；〃 replied Jane。 And she found it strangely embarrassing to meet the child's gaze。 It seemed to her that Fay's violet eyes looked through her with piercing wisdom。
〃Oo love him； don't oo？〃
〃Dear childrun and play；〃 said Jane； 〃but don't go too far。 Don't go from this little hill。〃
Fay pranced off wildly； joyous over freedom that had not been granted her for weeks。
〃Jane； why are children more sincere than grown…up persons？〃 asked Lassiter。
〃Are they？〃
〃I reckon so。 Little Fay thereshe sees things as they appear on the face。 An Indian does that。 So does a dog。 An' an Indian an' a dog are most of the time right in what they see。 Mebbe a child is always right。〃
〃Well； what does Fay see？〃 asked Jane。
〃I reckon you know。 I wonder what goes on in Fay's mind when she sees part of the truth with the wise eyes of a child； an' wantin' to know more； meets with strange falseness from you？ Wait！ You are false in a way； though you're the best woman I ever knew。 What I want to say is this。 Fay has taken you're pretendin' toto care for me for the thing it looks on the face。 An' her little formin' mind asks questions。 An' the answers she gets are different from the looks of things。 So she'll grow up gradually takin' on that falseness； an' be like the rest of the women； an' men； too。 An' the truth of this falseness to life is proved by your appearin' to love me when you don't。 Things aren't what they seem。〃
〃Lassiter； you're right。 A child should be told the absolute truth。 Butis that possible？ I haven't been able to do it； and all my life I've loved the truth； and I've prided myself upon being truthful。 Maybe that was only egotism。 I'm learning much； my friend。 Some of those blinding scales have fallen from my eyes。 Andand as to caring for you； I think I care a great deal。 How much； how little； I couldn't say。 My heart is almost broken。 Lassiter。 So now is not a good time to judge of affection。 I can still play and be merry with Fay。 I can still dream。 But when I attempt serious thought I'm dazed。 I don't think。 I don't care any more。 I don't pray！。。。Think of that； my friend！ But in spite of my numb feeling I believe I'll rise out of all this dark agony a better woman； with greater love of man and God。 I'm on the rack now； I'm senseless to all but pain； and growing dead to that。 Sooner or later I shall rise out of this stupor。 I'm waiting the hour。〃
〃It'll soon come； Jane；〃 replied Lassiter； soberly。 〃Then I'm afraid for you。 Years are terrible things； an' for years you've been bound。 Habit of years is strong as life itself。 Somehow； though； I believe as youthat you'll come out of it all a finer woman。 I'm waitin'； too。 An' I'm wonderin'I reckon； Jane； that marriage between us is out of all human reason？〃
〃Lassiter！。。。My dear friend！。。。It's impossible for us to marry！〃
〃Whyas Fay says？〃 inquired Lassiter； with gentle persistence。
〃Why！ I never thought why。 But it's not possible。 I am Jane； daughter of Withersteen。 My father would rise out of his grave。 I'm of Mormon birth。 I'm being broken。 But I'm still a Mormon woman。 And youyou are Lassiter！〃
〃Mebbe I'm not so much Lassiter as I used to be。〃