I came. My degree -- my sheepskin" -- she was
smiling -- "couldn't hold me!"

"Then you've spent some time in the East?"
he asked, tentatively.

"Yes," she replied, "that much -- three years.
And I didn't like it."

"Why?" he asked, a little surprised.

She regarded him curiously. He saw a look of
mild annoyance in her eyes, one that seemed to
tell of her inability to understand so needless a
question.

"I just didn't," she rejoined, after a moment.
"I discovered that you Easterners value things
which are diametrically opposite to the things we
value, and that you value not at all those things
which we value most of all."

He had to laugh. "What are they?" he wanted
to know.

For an instant she showed shyness. "Oh, I
can't say," she declared, finally. "Some day I
may tell you."

Stephen realized that it must be serious. He
was hesitating whether to press her further, when
he saw her tighten her reins, put spurs to her
horse, and go flashing off in the direction of the
mountain trail. As she dashed off he heard her
call out:

"Pat!" she cried. "Pat! It's Pat!" Then she
glanced to the rear. "Adele! Sam! It's Pat!
Come, quick!"

Stephen spurred on with the others. He galloped
after this hard-riding girl -- so intensely

[[121]]

p120 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p121w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p122

v?