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SON OF THE WIND

Blanche Rader gave this greeting between the two her pointed surprise.

Carron smiled at her. "Well, aren't you going to show me what you promised?"

She sent a flying look at Ferrier, gave a slight shrug as if to say that after all his being there didn't matter. She held up and opened her hand. "There it is."

Carron looked curiously at the twenty-dollar gold piece. In spite of him the color was coming into his face. He recognized the coin as being new, as being of the date that he remembered.

"Here it is," the girl insisted, holding it out.

To appear surprised was not difficult. "Where did you find it?"

"A little way below where I caught the stage. A stirrup was getting loose and I got off to fix it, and dropped the hair-pin I was fixing it with; just put my hand into the dust to get it again and found this in my fingers!"

Carron raised his eyes, most conscious of the other man's face. It was a study. The fellow had stretched his neck; he was crimson, his mouth a little open, and he looked at Carron in a suspense that was equal to suffering, expecting his next word.

"Of course, I'd like very much to accept it," Car-

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