Truedale shrugged his shoulders and
turned to his packing. He was feverishly eager to get to Nella-Rose.
Before nightfall she would be his before the world; in two weeks he
would be back; the future would shame White and bring him to his senses.
Jim had a soft heart; he was just, in his brutal fashion. When he
understood how matters were, he would feel like the fool he was--a fool
willing to cast a man off, unheard! But Truedale blamed himself for the
hesitation that meant so much. The telegram--his fear of making a wrong
step--had caused the grave mistake that could not be righted now.
At two o'clock Truedale started--on Jim's mare! White's cabin had all
the appearance of being barred against intrusion. Truedale did not mean
to test this, but it hurt him like a blow. However, there was nothing to
do but remedy, as soon as possible, the error he had permitted to arise.
No man on earth could make Nella-Rose more his than his love and good
faith had made her, still he was eager now to resort to all the
time-honoured safeguards before he left. Once married he would go with a
heart almost light. He would confide everything to Kendall and Lynda--at
least he would his marriage--and urge them to return with him to the
hills, and after that White and all the others would have an awakening.
The possibility thus conceived was like a flood of light and sweet air
in a place dark and bewildering but not evil--no, not that!
As he turned from the clearing Truedale looked back at his cabin.
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