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did not wear except in his presence。 In his singular
truthfulness he would have frankly confessed it to Teresa； but
the secret was not his own。 He contented himself with saying
that he had disposed of it at Indian Spring。
Teresa started； and communicated unconsciously some of her
nervousness to her companion。 They gazed in each other's eyes
with a troubled expression。
〃Do you think it was wise to sell that particular skin； which
might be identified？〃 she asked timidly。
Low knitted his arched brows； but felt a strange sense of relief。
〃Perhaps not；〃 he said carelessly； 〃but it's too late now to mend
matters。〃
That afternoon she wrote several letters； and tore them up。 One；
however； she retained； and handed it to Low to post at Indian
Spring； whither he was going。 She called his attention to the
superscription； being the same as the previous letter； and added；
with affected gayety； 〃But if the answer isn't as prompt； perhaps
it will be pleasanter than the last。〃 Her quick feminine eye
noticed a little excitement in his manner and a more studious
attention to his dress。 Only a few days before she would not
have allowed this to pass without some mischievous allusion to
his mysterious sweetheart； it troubled her greatly now to find
that she could not bring herself to this household pleasantry；
and that her lip trembled and her eye grew moist as he parted
from her。
The afternoon passed slowly； he had said he might not return to
supper until late； nevertheless a strange restlessness took
possession of her as the day wore on。 She put aside her work；
the darning of his stockings； and rambled aimlessly through the
woods。 She had wandered she knew not how far； when she was
suddenly seized with the same vague sense of a foreign presence
which she had felt before。 Could it be Curson again； with a word
of warning？ No！ she knew it was not he； so subtle had her sense
become that she even fancied that she detected in the invisible
aura projected by the unknown no significance or relation to
herself or Low； and felt no fear。 Nevertheless she deemed it
wisest to seek the protection of her sylvan bower； and hurried
swiftly thither。
But not so quickly nor directly that she did not once or twice
pause in her flight to examine the new…comer from behind a
friendly trunk。 He was a strangera young fellow with a brown
mustache； wearing heavy Mexican spurs in his riding…boots； whose
tinkling he apparently did not care to conceal。 He had perceived
her； and was evidently pursuing her； but so awkwardly and timidly
that she eluded him with ease。 When she had reached the security
of the hollow tree and pulled the curtain of bark before the
narrow opening； with her eye to the interstices； she waited his
coming。 He arrived breathlessly in the open space before the
tree where the bear once lay； the dazed； bewildered； and half…
awed expression of his face； as he glanced around him and through
the openings of the forest aisles； brought a faint smile to her
saddened face。 At last he called in a half…embarrassed voice：
〃Miss Nellie！〃
The smile faded from Teresa's cheek。 Who was 〃Miss Nellie？〃 She
pressed her ear to the opening。 〃Miss Wynn！〃 the voice again
called； but was lost in the echoless woods。 Devoured with a new
gratuitous curiosity； in another moment Teresa felt she would
have disclosed herself at any risk； but the stranger rose and
began to retrace his steps。 Long after his tinkling spurs were
lost in the distance； Teresa remained like a statue； staring at
the place where he had stood。 Then she suddenly turned like a
mad woman； glanced down at the gown she was wearing； tore it from
her back as if it had been a polluted garment； and stamped upon
it in a convulsion of rage。 And then； with her beautiful bare
arms clasped together over her head； she threw herself upon her
couch in a tempest of tears。
CHAPTER VI
When Miss Nellie reached the first mining extension of Indian
Spring； which surrounded it like a fosse； she descended for one
instant into one of its trenches； opened her parasol； removed her
duster； hid it under a bowlder； and with a few shivers and cat…
like strokes of her soft hands not only obliterated all material
traces of the stolen cream of Carquinez Woods； but assumed a
feline demureness quite inconsistent with any moral dereliction。
Unfortunately； she forgot to remove at the same time a certain
ring from her third finger； which she had put on with her duster
and had worn at no other time。 With this slight exception； the
benignant fate which always protected that young person brought
her in contact with the Burnham girls at one end of the main
street as the returning coach to Excelsior entered the other； and
enabled her to take leave of them before the coach office with a
certain ostentation of parting which struck Mr。 Jack Brace； who
was lingering at the doorway； into a state of utter bewilderment。
Here was Miss Nellie Wynn； the belle of Excelsior； calm； quiet；
self…possessed； her chaste cambric skirts and dainty shoes as
fresh as when she had left her father's house； but where was the
woman of the brown duster； and where the yellow…dressed
apparition of the woods？ He was feebly repeating to himself his
mental adjuration of a few hours before when he caught her eye；
and was taken with a blush and a fit of coughing。 Could he have
been such an egregious fool； and was it not plainly written on
his embarrassed face for her to read？
〃Are we going down together？〃 asked Miss Nellie with an
exceptionally gracious smile。
There was neither affectation nor coquetry in this advance。 The
girl had no idea of Brace's suspicion of her； nor did any uneasy
desire to placate or deceive a possible rival of Low's prompt her
graciousness。 She simply wished to shake off in this encounter
the already stale excitement of the past two hours； as she had
shaken the dust of the woods from her clothes。 It was
characteristic of her irresponsible nature and transient
susceptibilities that she actually enjoyed the relief of change；
more than that； I fear； she looked upon this infidelity to a past
dubious pleasure as a moral principle。 A mild； open flirtation
with a recognized man like Brace； after her secret passionate
tryst with a nameless nomad like Low； was an ethical equipoise
that seemed proper to one of her religious education。
Brace was only too happy to profit by Miss Nellie's condescension；
he at once secured the seat by her side； and spent the four hours
and a half of their return journey to Excelsior in blissful but
timid communion with her。 If he did not dare to confess his past
suspicions； he was equally afraid to venture upon the boldness he
had premeditated a few hours before。 He was therefore obliged to
take a middle course of slightly egotistical narration of his own
personal adventures； with which he beguiled the young girl's ear。
This he only departed from once； to describe to her a valuable
grizzly bearskin which he had seen that day for sale at Indian
Spring； with a view to divining her possible acceptance of it
for a 〃buggy robe；〃 and once to comment upon a ring which she
had inadvertently disclosed in pulling off her glove。
〃It's only an old family keepsake；〃 she added； with easy
mendacity； and affecting to recognize in Mr。 Brace's curiosity a
not unnatural excuse for toying with her charming fingers； she
hid them in chaste and virginal seclusion in her lap； until she
could recover the ring and resume her glove。
A week passeda week of peculiar and desiccating heat for even
those dry Sierra table…lands。 The long days were filled with
impalpable dust and acrid haze suspended in the motionless air；
the nights were breathless and dewless； the cold wind which
usually swept down from the snow line was laid to sleep over a
dark monotonous level； whose horizon was pricked with the eating
fires of burning forest crests。 The lagging coach of Indian
Spring drove up at Excelsior； and precipitated its passengers
with an accompanying cloud of dust before the Excelsior Hotel。
As they emerged from the coach； Mr。 Brace； standing in the
doorway； closely scanned their begrimed and almost unrecognizable
faces。 They were the usual type of travelers： a single
professional man in dusty black； a few traders in tweeds and
flannels； a sprinkling of miners in red and gray shirts； a
Chinaman； a negro； and a Mexican packer or muleteer。 This latter
for a moment mingled with the crowd in the bar…room； and even
penetrated the corridor and dining…room of the hotel； as if
impelled by a certain semi…civilized curiosity； and then strolled
with a lazy； dragging stephalf impeded by the enormous leather
leggings； chains； and spurs； peculiar to his classdown the main
street。 The darkness was gathering； but the muleteer indulged in
the same childish scrutiny of the dimly lighted shops； magazines；
and saloons； and even of the occasional groups of citizens at the
street corners。 Apparently young； as far as the outlines of his
figure could be seen； he seemed to show even more than the usual
concern of masculine Excelsior in the charms of womankind。 The
few female figures about at that h