"Fine!"
she laughed. "It sure sounds good to me." Floating nearer to him, she
pinched his arm. "Ain't you the spellbinder!"
He caught her with one arm. "Oh, Pearl," his voice falling to
seriousness, "you don't know how happy you make me. Honest, I've been so
plum scared these last few days, I been almost crazy. I didn't know, you
see, just how much influence your Pop and Flick might have over you, and
I got locoed for fear you wouldn't see me and give me a chance to
explain."
"Pop and Bob Flick kindly took the bother of explaining things off your
shoulders, didn't they?" with a short, vindictive laugh.
"Darn 'em," bitterly. "I don't want to say anything about your Pop, but
Flick's a sneaking coyote, and sooner or later he'll pay for snooping
into my business. Oh, I've cursed myself more than once for letting him
tell you, but I never loved a woman before, Pearl, and I couldn't take
the chances, honest I couldn't. I hadn't the nerve." There was a
passionate sincerity in his voice.
"They've been telling me you've loved many a woman." Her eyes gloomed
and she slashed her skirt savagely with the riding crop she held.
"You know," he whispered, "you know. I've been a fool. There have been
many others, Pearl, I ain't going to deceive you, but--there's never
been but one."
She softened and smiled at him, then her face darkened again. "But
there's one that stands in the way--yet," she said gloomily.
"In the way? What do you mean?" uncomprehendingly.
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