Page:Honore Willsie--Judith of the godless valley.djvu/349

 you are so wonderful to look at! Your father never dreamed of being as handsome as you. He's just a great animal. But no one can look into your eyes and not see how you've fought to make a man of yourself. I love you, Douglas!"

They clung to each other in the firelight, heedless of the unthinkable loneliness that hemmed them in, of the ardors of the day, of the terror of to-morrow.

"Judith! Judith! I cannot let you go!" breathed Douglas.

"I must go!" Judith freed herself suddenly. "Nothing shall persuade me to go back to the commonness of marriage in Lost Chief."

"Marriage is exactly what you make it," declared Douglas. "I believe we can keep it beautiful."

"I'm afraid!" repeated Judith. "It's hard to do or be anything fine in Lost Chief. You know that. See what they did to you! Douglas, what are you going to do about their burning up your ranch?"

Judith felt his muscles stiffen. "I'm going to fix Scott and Charleton, once and for all," he replied.

"Shall you rebuild the chapel?"

"Yes—" Douglas made the affirmation then stopped, abruptly. "Rebuild the chapel? And Judith not there? Put up the big fight for old Fowler, and Judith never returning to Lost Chief? Where now was all the zest for the fight? Why the chapel, why the ranch, why the big dream for the children who were to grow up properly in the Valley?

"No!" he exclaimed suddenly. "I shan't rebuild the chapel!"

"Fowler was the wrong man," Judith said. "You must realize that now. I wonder what they did with the