"Yes, I'm glad she's through with her schooling."

"She's gettin' purty beeg gal now."

"That's right."

"By-an'-by she's goin' marry on some feller--w'at?"

"I suppose so. She ain't the kind to stay single."

"Ha! Dat's right, too. Mebbe you don' care if she does get marry,eh?"

"Not if she gets a man that will treat her right."

"Wal! Wal! Dere's no trouble 'bout dat," exclaimed Doret, fervently."No man w'at's livin' could treat her bad. She's too good an' toopurty for have bad husban'."

"She is, is she?" Gale turned on him with a strange glare inside hiseyes. "Them's the kind that get the he-devils. There's somethingabout a good kid that attracts a bad man, particularly if she'spretty; and it goes double, too--the good men get the hellions. Afellow can't get so tough but what he can felinech a good woman, and adecent man usually draws a critter that looks like a sled and actslike a timber wolf."

"Necia wouldn't marry on no bad man," exclaimed Doret, positively.

"No?" said Gale. "Let me tell you what I saw with my own eyes. Iknew a child once that was just as good and pure as Necia, and justas beautiful, too--yes, and a thousand times prettier."