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 "I'll tell you. You see, David, he used to see me at Palo Alto."

"When was this?"

"This was the start. He wanted me to marry him then; he said I must."

"He was in college with you?"

"No; he just lived in California. He wasn't a college man; he wasn't that sort. I liked him, David."

"Liked? That all?"

"He scared off everybody else."

"How?"

"He did. If you knew him, you'd understand."

"Never mind. What did you do with him?"

"Do? In Palo Alto? Nothing, except tell him I wouldn't marry him. Then college was out and I went up into Idaho."

"Why?"

"Why, I had to go somewhere to get away from Sam. I had an invitation to visit a ranch from a girl I knew at Palo Alto. Sam guessed I'd gone with her; and he came after me."

"You mean," said David bitterly, "you went to your friend in Idaho like you went to Dorothy Hess's; then Bolton called for you like I did. You'd done all that before?"

"That's not true, David. I married him but I had no idea of marrying him when I went up to Mondora. The house party was all over before I thought of it. I was going off by myself—"

"Where?"

"I didn't care much. I had no invitation; and I certainly wasn't going back to White Falls. I'd some