Jim!"

He spoke in a sad, bitter tone which caused both women to look at
him wonderingly. Joe had to them ever been full of surprises; never
until then had they seen evidences of sadness in his face. A
moment's silence ensued. Mrs. Wentz gazed lovingly at the children
who were playing with the trinkets; while Kate mused over the young
man's remark, and began studying his, half-averted face. She felt
warmly drawn to him by the strange expression in the glance he had
given his brother. The tenderness in his eyes did not harmonize with
much of this wild and reckless boy's behavior. To Kate he had always
seemed so bold, so cold, so different from other men, and yet here
was proof that Master Joe loved his brother.

The murmured conversation of the two ministers was interrupted by a
low cry from outside the cabin. A loud, coarse laugh followed, and
then a husky voice:

"Hol' on, my purty lass."'

Joe took two long strides, and was on the door-step. He saw Nell
struggling violently in the grasp of the half-drunken teamster.

"I'll jes' hev' to kiss this lassie fer luck," he said in a tone of
good humor.

At the same instant Joe saw three loungers laughing, and a fourth,
the grizzled frontiersman, starting forward with a yell.

"Let me go!" cried Nell.