He made a quick gesture of protest.
“You forget,” he said soberly, “that when I met Marta and fell in love with her, I didn’t know about—her. Bender had told him about you before he met you, and then he thought you belonged to me.”
“Jo, if you had known Marta stole before you met her, wouldn’t you have loved her and asked her to marry you?”
“I don’t know,” he said frankly, “and I don’t care about ‘might have beens.’ I know I love her now and always shall. That is enough.”
“Miss Penny Ante,” he continued, as she did not answer him, “you don’t know Kurt Walters as I do. He is a square man, square as a die.”
“Yes, Jo,” she said softly. “He is a real man—a square man. I know it now, too late.”
“Not too late. Not if you care. Go back with me to the ranch. He has gone to town with the children to meet the Kingdons. Mrs. Kingdon is there, too. They will all be back to-night.”
“No, Jo; it’s too late.”
“Why?”
“Because I gave Francis a letter telling him everything. He might overlook what he did know, but I understand his pride. He’ll never overlook the other. He’ll not forgive the deception.”