"I guess Peter's been talking to you," said Douglas.
Judith nodded. "Yes, and he offered to loan me the money for college. But
I won't be beholden to a man outside the family. I'll earn it myself."
"What'll you do with a college education after you get it?" Doug's glance was not lazy now, as it rested on the young girl's eager face.
"I'll do something beside cooking and horse wrangling for some old Lost Chief rancher, I can tell you that!" cried Judith. "I'm going to get out and see the world and know life!"
"And give up your horses and dogs and the big old mountains? Jude, you'll never do it. I'd like to get out myself sometimes, but I know I'll never be happy anywhere else."
"I don't expect to be happy, but I've got to know things."
"What things, Judith?"
The girl turned from Douglas to gaze at the far light on Fire Mesa.
"The truth about things," she said at last. "Inez says there's just one big fact at the bottom of everything and that is sex, and that there's only one thing worth living for, to make sex beautiful."
"She's a liar!" exclaimed Douglas indignantly, as if Inez had said something shameful. "Where does she get that rotten stuff?"