Mary wheeled slowly back and faced them. She held out one big-veined and skinny hand, above the closed fingers of which two match-heads protruded.
With a swift glance at his rival, Andy took a step and stood before her, hesitated a moment, then reached out and pulled a match.
He caught his breath, turned red, and glanced confusedly at Charmian.
He had drawn an entire match—the long straw. He was elected to stay with Mary Temple.
“I don’t care if I did cheat,” Mary consoled herself as she sought her bed early that night. “They’ll never guess that neither match was broken. Andy had no chance to win—and I wanted it that way.”
But at the same time that she was saying this Dr. Shonto sat alone over the red coals of the dying campfire. Charmian and Andy were strolling down the cañon together under the light of the moon, and the girl did not protest when Andy’s arm stole round her waist.
CHAPTER XV
VAGRANCY CAÑON
“CHARMIAN,” said Andy passionately, “do you know that I love you more than anything else in all the world? I can’t live without you, darling! Don’t want to live without you! You know I love you, don’t you, dear? Tell me you know it! You must know it! You can’t help but know! I’ve loved you from the moment I first set eyes on you, when you stood in the door in your evening gown at El Trono de Tolerancia. God, how I love you, Charmian!”
He stopped her, made her face him, and threw his other arm about her. He was trembling violently, and in the moonlight she saw the twitching of his parted lips.
“Charmian! Charmian!” he cried brokenly, as he realized that she was not struggling in his arms. “You love me, don’t you? I know you love me! God!”