About three o’clock she kissed him good-bye, and turned homeward. After she had passed the point where the Silver Creek trail ran into the road she heard the sound of a galloping horse behind. A rider was coming along the trail toward town. He gained on her rapidly, and presently a voice hailed her gayly:
“The top o’ the mornin’ to you, Miss ’Lissie.”
She drew up to wait for him. “My name is still Miss Lee,” she told him mildly, by way of correction. 245
“I’m glad it is, but we can change it in three minutes at any time, my dear,” he laughed.
She had been prepared to be more friendly toward him, but at this she froze again.
“Did you leave Mrs. O’Connor and the children well?” she asked pointedly, looking directly at him.
His smile vanished, and he stared at her in a very strange fashion. She had taken the wind completely out of his sails. It had not occurred to him that O’Connor might be a married man. Nor did he know but that it might be a trick to catch him. He did the only thing he could do—made answer in an ironic fashion, which might mean anything or nothing.
“Very well, thank you.”
She saw at once that the topic did not allure him, and pushed home her advantage. “You must miss Mrs. O’Connor when you are away on duty.”
“Must I?”