The Homeward Trail

gness of this thing that had developed in their lives with such amazing suddenness. It was David who first returned to prosaic thought. His gaze chanced to fall on the empty wagon. The sight of it brought back to memory the evil fashion in which Swaim had reviled him as a thief. The radiance of his face vanished. In its place came a somber darkening. His eyes hardened, and Ms lips set in lines of grim determination. "I've gotter git out," he said curtly to Euth, who stared at him in astonishment over the abrupt change in his manner. Hisvoice was gentle, but held a stern note of resolve. "Why, what do you mean, Dave?" the girl asked anxiously. "I must git out o' here t'-night," was the answer. "I'm goin' somewhere t' earn a bit o' money fer a bill I'm owin' t' William Swaim." "No, no!" Euth remonstrated. Her heart sickened at the thought that she must lose this lover whom she had only just found. David shook his head obstinately, and the firmly modeled chin was thrust forward a little. "There's no two ways about it," he declared. "It will be powerful hard t' leave ye, Euth, just after we've got t' be sweethearts, but it can't be helped. I can't thrash yer pap, Euth?jest 'cause he's an old man, an' cause he's yer pap. An' if I can't lick him, why, I just naturally gotter pay him fer them apples." His face lightened a little as he smiled wryly. "T' pay him I got t' git money, an' t' git money I got t' git out o' here." "I know pap better than you...