Young Dave, entering from the kitchen,
saw Rufe's look and the hostile lightning of his own eyes flashed
at his foster-uncle, who knew straightway that he must not for his
own safety strain the boy's jealousy too far.
"You oughtn't to 'a' done it, Rufe," said old Judd a little later,
and he shook his head. Again Rufe laughed:
"No--" he said with a quick pacificatory look to young Dave, "not
to HIM!" The swift gritting of Dave's teeth showed that he knew
what was meant, and without warning the instinct of a protecting
tigress leaped within June. She had seen and had been grateful for
the look Dave gave the outlaw, but without a word she rose new and
went to her own room. While she sat at her window, her step-mother
came out the back door and left it open for a moment. Through it
June could hear the talk:
"No," said her father, "she ain't goin' to marry him." Dave
grunted and Rufe's voice came again:
"Ain't no danger, I reckon, of her tellin' on me?"
"No," said her father gruffly, and the door banged.
No, thought June, she wouldn't, even without her father's trust,
though she loathed the man, and he was the only thing on earth of
which she was afraid--that was the miracle of it and June
wondered.
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