Oh, Louise! I can't
believe it. I could just shout. Can't I have another one, Rose Girl?"
"Must I teach you not to ask?" said Louise.
Collie took her other meaning as she made a little mouth at him. "Not
after this," he said, and gave apt proof that he meant it.
"More than a whole carload of gold?" she asked, gazing at him.
"You know _that_, too?"
"Collie?"
"What is it?"
"Promise that you won't speak to any one about the claim, or the
desert, or my father until I say you may."
"Of course I promise."
"Nor about ourselves, until I tell you to."
"Never--if it will make you happy."
* * * * *
Overland Red, sitting on a boulder beside the road, stooped and gathered
up a handful of pebbles. Then, for lack of other interest, he invented a
game of ancient and honorable origin. "She loves me," he said tossing
away a pebble. "She loves me not." And up spun another pebble. So he
continued until the pebbles were gone. "She loves me not," he muttered
lugubriously. Then his face brightened. "Of course she don't. She loves
_him_. That's what I was tryin' to get at, anyway."
He fumbled at a huge bunch of little red flowers called "Hummingbird's
Trumpets.
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