comfort!"

Something in her tone narrowed the Indian's eyes.

"Why should you speak as a queen to a poor devil of a subject? By what
particular mark of superiority are you exempt from work? For a time
you have had the excuse of illness, but you no longer have that. I
should say that making tortillas was better than sitting in sloth while
they are made for you! Do you never have any sense of shame that you
are forever taking and never giving?"

Rhoda answered angrily.

"I'm not at all interested in your opinions."

But the young Apache went on.

"It makes me tired to hear the white women of your class talk of their
equality to men! You don't do a thing to make you equal. You live off
some one else. You don't even produce children. Huh! No wonder
nature kicks you out with all manner of illness. You are mere cloggers
of the machinery. For heaven's sake, wake up, Rhoda! Except for your
latent possibilities, you aren't in it with Molly!"

"You have some touchstone, I suppose," replied Rhoda contemptuously,
"by which you are made competent to sit in judgment on mankind?"

"I sure have!" said Kut-le. "It is that you so live that you die
spiritually richer than you were born. Life is a simple thing, after
all. To keep one's body and soul healthy, to bear children, to give