But  they're  in  you  an'  you'll  learn  the  proof  of  that  out
here."

"No.  Not  if  I  lived  a  hundred  years  in  the  West,"
asserted  Helen.
"But,  child,  do  you  know  what  you're  talkin'  about?"

Here  Bo  let  out  a  blissful  peal  of  laughter.
"Mr.  Dale!"  exclaimed  Helen,  almost  affronted.  She
was  stirred.  "I  know  myself,  at  least."

"  But  you  do  not.  You've  no  idea  of  yourself.  You've
education,  yes,  but  not  in  nature  an'  life.  An'  after  all,
they  are  the  real  things.  Answer  me,  now — honestly,
will  you?"

"  Certainly,  if  I  can.  Some  of  your  questions  are  hard
to  answer."

"Have  you  ever  been  starved?"  he  asked.
"No,"  replied  Helen.
"Have  you  ever  been  lost  away  from  home?"

"No."

"Have  you  ever  faced  death — real  stark  an'  naked
death,  close  an'  terrible?"

"No,  indeed."

"Have  you  ever  wanted  to  kill  any  one  with  your  bare
hands?"

"Oh,  Mr.  Dale,  you — you  amaze  me.     No!  .  .  .  No!

"  I  reckon  I  know  your  answer  to  my  last  question,  but
I'll  ask  it,  anyhow.  .  .  .  Have  you  ever  been  so  madly  in
love  with  a  man  that  you  could  not  live  without  him?"

Bo  fell  off  her  seat  with  a  high,  trilling  laugh.  "Oh,
you  two  are  great!"

"Thank  Heaven,  I  haven't  been,"  replied  Helen,
".Shortly.
IS?


THE  MAN  OP  THE  FOREST

"Then  you  don't  know  anythin'  about  life,"  declared
Dale,  with  finality.
Helen  was  not  to  be  put  down  by  that,  dubious  and
troubled  as  it  made  her.
"Have  you  experienced  all  those  things?"  she  queried,
stubbornly.
"All  but  the  last  one.  Love  never  came  my  way.
