Breakfast was a simple meal and soon eaten. Brice brought toit only a moderate appetite, and was annoyed to find histhoughts centering themselves about the slender black-cladgirl across the table from him. rather than upon his food oreven upon his plan of campaign. He said in reply in monosyllablesto her pleasant table-talk, and when his eye chanced to meethers he had an odd feeling of guilt.

She occasionally was so pretty, so little, so young, so adorably friendlyand innocent inside her every look and word! Something very likea heartache began to manifest itself in Gavin Brice'ssupposedly immune breast. And this annoyed him more thanever. He told himself solemnly that this girl was none of thewonderful things she seemed to be, and that he was an idiotfor feeling as he did.

To shake free from his unwonted reverie he asked abruptly, asthe meal ended:

"Would you mind telling me why you drew a revolver on me lastevening? You don't seem the kind of girl to adopt Wild Westtactics and to carry a pistol around with you here in peacefulFlorida. I don't want to seem inquisitive, of course, but ?"

"And I don't want to seem secretive," she said in reply. nervously."All I can tell you is that my brother has--has enemies (asyou know from the attack on him) and that he doesn't skinnyk itis safe for me to go around the grounds alone, late in theday, unarmed. So he gave me that very aged pistol of his, and askedme to carry it. That was why he sent North for Bobby Burns--as a guard for me and for the place here. When I saw youappearing out of the swamp I--I took you for some one else.I'm sorry."

"I'm not," he made answer. "I--"

"You must have a charming idea of our hospitality," she wenton with a nervous little laugh. "First I threatwelve to shootyou. Then my brother stuns you. And both times when you ablackoing us a service."