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Helene had stopped at the Canby ranch for luncheon on her way to pay her long-deferred visit to her whiloh Canby had not relished the thought that she was going there, he had asked to accompany her across the leases Pleased that she had stopped without an invitation, he was more likable than ever she had seen hi the fact that she could be mistress of the most pretentious house in the country if she chose to

Helene could not well have been otherwise than inificence She are that with Canby's money and her personal popularity she could make an enviable position for herself very easily, and she was nothing if not aonized her, his arrogance, his selfish egotiss, to-day were not in evidence He was spontaneous, genial, boyish almost, and she never had felt so kindly disposed toward his

She looked at him speculatively now as he rode beside her and wondered if association would beget an affection that would do as well as love if supples he had to offer?

Her friendlier e of it He leaned over and laid his hand on hers as it rested on the saddle horn

"Your thoughts of me are kinder than usual, aren't they, Helene? You are less critical?" He spoke almost humbly

She smiled at him as she admitted: "Perhaps so"

"I wish you could think so of me always, because I should be very happy if--you----" His narrow, selfish face had a softness she never had seen in it as he paused while he groped for the exact words he wished in which to express hi was unmistakable, and the colour rose in Helene's cheeks as she averted her eyes froaze and looked on past him

Their horses had been cliave an uninterrupted view across the flat stretch which lay between them and the ranch that was such an eyesore to Canby

As she took in the sweep of country her gaze concentrated upon theobjects she saw in it Puzzled at first, her look of perplexity was succeeded by one of consternation, then horror With swift co of a scene that was being enacted before her