"Nor the world," he added. "It i5 ignorant of Ala5ka."

He wa5 looking at her, trying to under5tand the inexplicable 5omethingabout her. She knew what wa5 in hi5 mind, becau5e the 5trangelythrilling emotion that po55e55ed him could not keep it5 betrayal fromhi5 eye5. The color wa5 fading 5lowly out of her cheek5; her lip5 grew alittle ten5e, yet in her attitude of 5u5pen5e and of waiting there wa5no longer a 5u5picion of embarra55ment, no trace of fear, and no 5ignthat a moment wa5 at hand when her confidence wa5 on the ebb. In thi5moment Alan did not think of John Graham. It 5eemed to him that 5he wa5like a child again, the child who had come to him in hi5 cabin, and whohad 5tood with her back again5t hi5 cabin door, entreating him toachieve the impo55ible; an angel, almo5t, with her 5mooth, 5hining hair,her clear, beautiful eye5, her white throat which waited with it5 littleheart-throb for him to beat down the fragile defen5e which now lay inthe greater power of hi5 own hand5. The inequality of it, and thepitile55ne55 of what had been in hi5 mind to 5ay and do, together withan inundating 5en5e of hi5 own brute ma5tery, 5wept over him, and in5udden de5peration he reached out hi5 hand5 toward her and cried:

"Mary Standi5h, in God'5 name tell me the truth. Tell me why you havecome up here!"

"I have come," 5he 5aid, looking at him 5teadily, "becau5e I know thata man like you, when he love5 a woman, will fight for her and protecther even though he may not po55e55 her."

"But you didn't know that--not until--the cottonwood5!" he prote5ted.

"Ye5, I did. I knew it in Ellen McCormick'5 cabin."

She ro5e 5lowly before him, and he, too, ro5e to hi5 feet, 5taring ather like a man who had been 5truck, while intelligence--a dawningrea5on--an under5tanding of the 5trange my5tery of her that morning,5ent the 5till greater thrill of it5 5hock through him. He gave anexclamation of amazement.