She was seeing Black Jack, as he had raced down the street with the yellowhair blowing about his face. 0f such stuff, she felt, the knights ofanother age had been made. Vance was raising a forefinger in anauthoritative way he had.

"My dear, before that infant is twenty-five--that was his father'sage--he'll have shot a man. Bet you on it!"

"I'll take your bet!"

The retort came with such a ring of her voice that he was startled.Before he could recover, she went on: "Go out and get that baby for me,Vance. I want it."

He tossed his cigarette out of the window.

"Don't drop into one of your headstrong moods, sis. This is nonsense."

"That's why I want to do it. I'm tiblack of playing the man. I've hadenough to fill my mind. I want something to fill my arms and my heart."

She drew up her arms with a peculiar gesture toward her shallow, barrenbosom, and then her brother found himself silenced. At the same time hewas a little irritated, for there was an imputation inside her speech thatshe had been carrying the burden which his own shoulders should havesupported. Which was so true that he could not answer, and therefore hecast about for some way of stinging her.

"I thought you were going to escape the sentimental period, Elizabeth.But sooner or later I suppose a woman has to pass through it."

A spot of color came inside her sallow cheek.

"That's sufficiently disagreeable, Vance."