Gently his hands clasped her golden head. His whole being thrilled as he
touched her hair, her cheeks, her lips. "Oh, Collie! Collie! Love me
always," she whispered. And she drew him down to her breast and caressed
his cheek, sighing and murmuring little endearments and sweet, broken
words of love.
* * * * *
Moonstone Canon, coldly beautiful, echoed the hoof-beats of the ponies
as they walked homeward.
Louise turned in the saddle. "Collie," she said with an indescribable
gesture of appeal, "you will always take care of me, won't you?"
"My Rose Girl! Why do you say that?"
"I was thinking of my father."
Louise saw his lips stiffen and his chin lift. "Louise, I had no right,
just now,--I haven't any right--I'm poor. The claim wasn't ours."
"I didn't mean that," she said, smiling wistfully. "But you will always
care for me, won't you? I don't care one bit about the claim. It has
made trouble and sorrow enough. I can't remember my father. I can hardly
think of him as my father. But it is horrible to think of his dying for
water because he cared so much for gold."
"But how did you know?"
"I know," she answered gravely. "And I know that you are a very, very
foolish boy, not to trust your friends more than you do.
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