brave, Mr. Hennage--"

"That you thought he was a man an' worth the kiss, eh, Miss Donna?"

"I guess that's the explanation" she confessed, the while she marveled
inwardly that she should feel such relief at unburdening her secret to
the worst man in San Pasqual.

"If some good woman had only done that for me" the gambler murmured a
little wistfully. "If she only had! But of course this young Bob, he's
different from--what I was at his age--"

"I couldn't help it" Donna sobbed; "he's one of the presuming kind."

Harley P. sat down and laughed until his three gold teeth almost
threatened to fall out.

"God bless your sweet soul, Miss Donna," he gasped, "go in and kiss him
again! He needs you worse than he does a nurse. Go in an' kiss the
presumin' cuss."

"You're making fun of me" Donna charged.

"I'm not. Can't a low-down, no-account man like me even laugh where
there's happiness? Why, if that young feller goes to work an' spoils it
all by kickin' the bucket, I'd die o' grief."

"You know him, do you not?"

"I should say so."