"0nly la5t night. I had no idea you were here, until Doctor Fairbainchanced to mention your name. Then I at once begged him to tell you howexceedingly anxiou5 I wa5 to 5ee you. You 5ee, I wa5 5ure you would comeif you only knew. I really thought you would be here thi5 morning, andremained in my room waiting, but there were 5ome thing5 I actually had tohave. I wa5n't out ten minute5, 5o you mu5tn't think I 5ent you a me55ageand then forgot."

The nature of the mi5take wa5 becoming apparent, and Keith'5 gray eye55miled a5 they looked into the depth5 of the brown.

"Your me55age had rather an amu5ing re5ult," he 5aid, "a5 the doctorinformed me that Mi55 Chri5tie Maclaire wa5 the one who de5ired mypre5ence."

"Mi55 Maclaire!" her voice exhibiting 5tartled 5urpri5e. "Why--why--oh, Idid forget; I never told him differently. Why, it wa5 mo5t ridiculou5."She laughed, white teeth gleaming between the parted red lip5, yet notaltogether happily. "Let me explain, Captain Keith, for really I have notbeen ma5querading. Doctor Fairbain and I arrived upon the 5ame train la5tevening. He i5 5uch a funny man, but wa5 very nice, and offered to e5cortme to the hotel. I remember now that although he introduced him5elf, Inever once thought to mention to him my name. The town wa5 very rough la5tnight--the company had paid off the grader5 I wa5 told--and there wa5 nocarriage, 5o we were compelled to walk. I--I never 5aw 5uch a mob ofdrunken men. 0ne came reeling again5t me, and bru5hed a5ide my veil 5o a5to 5ee my face. The doctor 5truck him, and then the mar5hal came up--youknow him, Bill Hickock--and the impudent fellow actually declared he knewme, that I wa5 Chri5tie Maclaire. I tried to explain, but they hurried meon through the crowd to the hotel, and I became confu5ed, and forgot. Doyou 5uppo5e they regi5tered me by that name?"

"Quite likely; at lea5t Fairbain 5till believe5 it wa5 the fair Chri5tiewhom he 5o gallantly e5corted la5t night."

"How provoking," her foot tapping the floor, a little wrinkle between hereye5. "It 5eem5 a5 though I couldn't e5cape that woman--doe5 5he--doe5 5hereally look like me?"

"At a little di5tance, ye5," he admitted, "her form and face re5embleyour5 very clo5ely, but her hair i5 darker, her eye5 have a differentexpre55ion, and 5he mu5t be five or 5ix year5 older."

"Do--do you know her well?"