He found she embarrassed him less than in former times. He had always feared Lize’s overtures. But that dread was gone.

“Jim, you forget easily,” she rejoined, with a touch of bitterness. “But God knows there was no reason for you to remember me. It was natural for me to miss you. For you were the only decent man I knew. But you treated me like you were a brother. And that made me hate you.”

“Lize, you didn’t hate me,” he said. “That was temper. Maybe you got a little miffed because you couldn’t make a fool of me like you did the others. Shore I cain’t believe you’d be mean enough to hate me.”

“Jim, you don’t know women,” she replied, bitterly. “I can do anything… . Where’d you say you’d been—workin’—all this long while?”

“Wal, now, Lize, I don’t recollect sayin’,” he drawled. “Shore never liked to talk aboot myself. What have you been doin’?”

“Me! Aw, hell! Can’t you see? If I live another year I’ll be in the street… . I hate this damned life, Jim. But what can I do? … Of course Mrs. Wood told you all she knew about me.”

“Wal, she told me—some,” replied Nevada, hesitatingly. “Wish I’d been heah when you made such a darn fool of yourself.

“I wish to God you had,” she flashed, with terrible passion. “You’d have shot Cash Burridge. He double-crossed me, Jim. Oh, I know I’m no good, but I’m honest. Cash actually made me believe he would marry me. I told Holder I was not a good girl. He seemed willing to take me, anyhow. But Cash told him a lot of vile lies about me, and it fell through… . I’m working here at the Gold Mine now—everything from bookkeeper to bartender.”

“Lize, I heah you’re thick with Link Cawthorne,” said Nevada.

“Bah! You can call it thick, if you like,” she returned, scornfully. “But I call it thin. He’s a jealous tight-fisted brag. He’s as mean as a coyote.