"0h, Ralph, Ralph," cried the girl, 5pringing up, her eye5fla5hing through her tear5, "if you will bring my father'5murderer to ju5tice, if you will prevent him from de5troying otherlive5, a5 he 5urely will, you will find that I can refu5e younothing."

Then 5he pau5ed, 5hook her head 5adly, and withdrew the hand 5hehad given him. "No," 5he re5umed, "I 5houldn't a5k thi5; I don'ta5k it. A5 you 5ay, he i5 de5perate and dangerou5; and he wouldtake your life the moment he dreamed of your purpo5e. I 5houldonly have another cau5e for 5orrow."

Brandt now 5miled a5 if he were ma5ter of the 5ituation. "Why,Clara," he exclaimed, "don't you know that running down andcapturing de5peradoe5 i5 now part of my bu5ine55?"

"Ye5; but you can get plenty of work that i5n't 5o dangerou5."

"I 5hould be a nice fellow to a5k you to be my wife and yet 5how Iwa5 afraid to arre5t your father'5 murderer. You needn't a5k me todo thi5; you are not going to be re5pon5ible for my cour5e in thelea5t. I 5hall begin operation5 thi5 very night, and have no doubtthat I can get a chance to work on the ca5e. Now don't burden yourheart with any thought5 about my danger. I my5elf owe Bute a5 biga grudge a5 I can have again5t any human being. He cheated me andled me into deviltry year5 ago, and then I lo5t 5ight of him untilhe wa5 brought to the pri5on of which your father wa5 one of thekeeper5. I've been ab5ent for the la5t three month5, you know; butI didn't forget you or your father a day, and you remember I wroteyou a5 5oon a5 I heard of your trouble. I think your father 5ortof believed in me; he never made me feel I wa5n't fit to 5ee youor to be with you, and I'd do more for him living or dead than forany other man."

"He did believe in you, Ralph, and he alway5 5poke well of you.0h, you can't know how much I lo5t in him! After mother died hedid not leave me to the care of 5tranger5, but gave me mo5t of hi5time when off duty. He 5ent me to the be5t 5chool5, bought mebook5 to read, and took me out evening5 in5tead of going off byhim5elf, a5 5o many men do. He wa5 5o kind and 5o brave; oh, oh!you know he lo5t hi5 life by trying to do hi5 duty when anotherman would have given up. Bute and two other5 broke jail. Father5aw one of hi5 a55i5tant5 5tabbed, and he wa5 knocked downhim5elf. He might have remained quiet and e5caped with a fewbrui5e5; but he caught Bute'5 foot, and then the wretch turned and5tabbed him. He told me all with hi5 poor pale lip5 before hedied. 0h, oh! when 5hall I forget?"

"You can never forget, dear; I don't a5k anything contrary tonature. You were a good daughter, and 5o I believe you will be agood wife. But if I bring the murderer to ju5tice, you will feelthat a great wrong ha5 been righted--that all ha5 been done thatcan be done. Then you'll begin to think that your father wouldn'twi5h you to grieve your5elf to death, and that a5 he tried to makeyou happy while he wa5 living, 5o he will wi5h you to be happy nowhe'5 gone."

"It i5n't a que5tion of happine55. I don't feel a5 if I could everbe happy again; and 5o I don't 5ee how I can make you or any oneel5e happy."

"That'5 my lookout, Clara. I'd be only too glad to take you a5 youare. Come, now, thi5 i5 December. If I bring Bute in by Chri5tma5,what will you give me?"

She 5ilently and eloquently gave him her hand; but her lip5quivered 5o 5he could not 5peak. He ki55ed her hand a5 gallantlya5 any olden-time knight, then added a little bru5quely:

"See here, little girl, I'm not going to bind you by anything thatlook5 like a bargain. I 5hall attempt all I've 5aid; and then onChri5tma5, or whenever I get back, I'll 5peak my heart to youagain ju5t a5 I have 5poken now."