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 his secret places. Barrett knew that it was not his place to inform her. He hoped, in truth, that she might never know.

"The manly thing, the kind and friendly thing, would be to go away from here," she said, her manner softer, her voice gentle and pleading. "Give Uncle Hal the chance you'd ask for yourself in his place; believe me when I tell you he hasn't deceived anybody, doesn't want a cent of anybody's money; that he would rather put a bullet through his own heart than wrong the most unworthy person that ever trusted him."

"I hope it will all clear up for him, then, and come out right," he said.

"It will all come out right, Mr. Barrett, if you'll go away and stop worrying him by your suspicions of crookedness, or whatever it was induced you to come. Your money's safe; Uncle Hal's got the rustlers on the run, and things are going to take a turn for the good from now on. Will you take my word for it, Mr. Barrett, if you're not willing to take his?"

"I've cut all my connections with the Diamond Tail, as far as they relate to employer and employed," he told her, his voice slow and grave. "My foolish, small, sneaking investigations have come to an end."

"Have you found out anything?" she challenged, in the defiance of perfect confidence.

"Nothing to give an honest man one moment of uneasiness, as I said before, Miss Nearing."

"Then you're going away?"

"Not very far. I like this country, I'm going to settle here."