The Monticellonian., 1918-04-19

made futile effort to tuck in d few of the longest wisps of hair.
 Well, of all the" The stern gray eyes of Billy Louise flew wide open at the effrontery of the words. If they expected her to believe thatl
 That's it, Miss Louise. That's the point we'd like to settle. ourselves. know it sounds outrageous, but it's a fact. Peter and 1 found those cattle up in the hills, with our brand worked over the V. On my word of honor, not one of us knows who did it."
 But you've got them down here"
 Well" Charlie threw out hand helplessly. His eyes met hers with ap- pealing frankness. We couldn't rub out the brands; what else could we do? l figured that somebody else would see them if we left them out in the hills, and 1t might be rather hard to convince a man; you see, we can't even convince you! But, so help c,e, not one of us branded those cattle, Miss Louise. I believe that whoever has been rustling stock around here deliberately tried to fix evidence against us. I'm a stranger in the coun- try, and l don't know the game very we'll I'm an, easy mark"
 "Yes, you're that, all right enough !'' Billy Louise spoke with blunt disfavor, but her contemptuous certainty of his guilt was plainly wayering. 'To go and bring stolen cattle right down here"
 Tt seemed to me they'd be safer here than anywhere else," Charlie observed naively. "Nobody ever comes down Iere, unknown to us. 1 had 1t sized up that the fellow who worked those brands would never dream we'd bring the stock right into the Cove. Why, Miss Louise, even I would know better than to put our brand on top of Sea beck's and expect it to pass inspection. If 1 wanted to steal cattle, 1 wouldn't go at 1t that way!"
 Billy Louise glanced uncertainty at him and then at Marthy, facing her grimly. She did not know what to think. and she showed 1t.
 How do you mean-the real rus tlers?" she began hesitatingly; and hesitation was not by any means a mental habit with Billy Louise.
 'I mean just what 1 said" Char lies manner was becoming more nat ural, more confident. i've been rid ing through the hills good deal, and I've seen a few things. And I've an idea the fellow got a little uneasy" He saw her vince q little at the word fellow" and he went on, with an impulsive burst of confidence: Miss Louise. have you ever, in your riding around up above Jones canyon. in all those deep little gulches, have you ever seen anything of a-corral, up there?'
 Billy Louise held herself rigidly from starting at this. She bit her lips so that it hurt. whereabouts is it?" she asked, without looking at. him. And then: "I thought you would go to any length before you would accuse anybody"
 T would. But when they deliberate ly try to hand me the blame-and I'm not accusing anybody-anybody in particular am I? The corral Is at the head of a steep little canyon or gulch, back in the hills where all these bigger canyons head. Some time when you're riding up that way, you keep an eye out for 1t. That" he added grimly, 'is where Peter and I ran across these cattle; right near that corral"
 The heart of Billy Louise went heavy in her chest. Was 1t possible? Doubts are harder to kill than cats or snakes. You think they're done for, and here they come again. crowding close so that one can see nothing else.
 Have you any idea at all, who it is?' She forced the words out of her dry throat. She lifted her head de- fiantly and looked at him full, trying to read the truth from his eyes and his mouth.
 Charlie Fox met her look, and in his eyes she read pity-yes, pity for her. If 1 have" he said, with an mir of gently deliberate evasion, "rll wait till -yZ-@l