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effectively　stopped　the　discovery　of　any　clue　to　his　friends　or　his

identity。　　As　it　was　evidently　an　ACCIDENT；　which；　in　that　rude

communityand　even　in　some　more　civilized　onesconveyed　a　vague

impression　of　some　contributary　incapacity　on　the　part　of　the

victim；　or　some　Providential　interference　of　a　retributive

character；　Burnt　Ridge　gave　itself　little　trouble　about　it。　　It　is

unnecessary　to　say　that　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Forsyth　gave　themselves　and

Josephine　much　more。　　They　had　a　theory　and　a　grievance。　　Satisfied

from　the　first　that　the　alleged　victim　was　a　drunken　tramp；　who

submitted　to　have　a　hole　bored　in　his　head　in　order　to　foist

himself　upon　the　ranch；　they　were　loud　in　their　protests；　even

hinting　at　a　conspiracy　between　Josephine　and　the　stranger　to

supplant　her　brother　in　the　property；　as　he　had　already　in　the

spare　bedroom。　　〃Didn't　all　that　yer　happen　THE　VERY　NIGHT　she

pretended　to　go　for　Stepheneh？〃　said　Mrs。　Forsyth。　　〃Tell　me

that！　　And　didn't　she　have　it　all　arranged　with　the　buggy　to　bring

him　here；　as　that　sneaking　doctor　let　outeh？　　Looks　mighty

curious；　don't　it？〃　she　muttered　darkly　to　the　old　man。　　But

although　that　gentleman；　even　from　his　own　selfish　view；　would

scarcely　have　submitted　to　a　surgical　operation　and　later　idiocy　as

the　price　of　insuring　comfortable　dependency；　he　had　no　doubt

others　were　base　enough　to　do　it；　and　lent　a　willing　ear　to　his

wife's　suspicions。



Josephine's　personal　knowledge　of　the　stranger　went　little　further。

Doctor　Duchesne　had　confessed　to　her　his　professional　disappointment

at　the　incomplete　results　of　the　operation。　　He　had　saved　the　man's

life；　but　as　yet　not　his　reason。　　There　was　still　hope；　however；　for

the　diagnosis　revealed　nothing　that　might　prejudice　a　favorable

progress。　　It　was　a　most　interesting　case。　　He　would　watch　it

carefully；　and　as　soon　as　the　patient　could　be　removed　would　take

him　to　the　county　hospital；　where；　under　his　own　eyes；　the　poor

fellow　would　have　the　benefit　of　the　latest　science　and　the　highest

specialists。　　Physically；　he　was　doing　remarkably　well；　indeed；　he

must　have　been　a　fine　young　chap；　free　from　blood　taint　or　vicious

complication；　whose　flesh　had　healed　like　an　infant's。　　It　should　be

recorded　that　it　was　at　this　juncture　that　Mrs。　Forsyth　first　learnt

that　a　SILVER　PLATE　let　into　the　artful　stranger's　skull　was　an

adjunct　of　the　healing　process！　　Convinced　that　this　infamous

extravagance　was　part　and　parcel　of　the　conspiracy；　and　was　only

the　beginning　of　other　assimilations　of　the　Forsyths'　metallic

substance；　that　the　plate　was　probably　polished　and　burnished　with　a

fulsome　inscription　to　the　doctor's　skill；　and　would　pass　into　the

possession　and　adornment　of　a　perfect　stranger；　her　rage　knew　no

bounds。　　He　or　his　friends　ought　to　be　made　to　pay　for　it　or　work　it

out！　　In　vain　it　was　declared　that　a　few　dollars　were　all　that　was

found　in　the　man's　pocket；　and　that　no　memoranda　gave　any　indication

of　his　name；　friends；　or　history　beyond　the　suggestion　that　he　came

from　a　distance。　　This　was　clearly　a　part　of　the　conspiracy！　　Even

Josephine's　practical　good　sense　was　obliged　to　take　note　of　this

singular　absence　of　all　record　regarding　him；　and　the　apparent

obliteration　of　everything　that　might　be　responsible　for　his

ultimate　fate。



Homeless；　friendless；　helpless；　and　even　nameless；　the　unfortunate

man　of　twenty…five　was　thus　left　to　the　tender　mercies　of　the

mistress　of　Burnt　Ridge　Ranch；　as　if　he　had　been　a　new…born

foundling　laid　at　her　door。　　But　this　mere　claim　of　weakness　was

not　all；　it　was　supplemented　by　a　singular　personal　appeal　to

Josephine's　nature。　　From　the　time　that　he　turned　his　head　towards

her　voice　on　that　fateful　night；　his　eyes　had　always　followed　her

around　the　room　with　a　wondering；　yearning；　canine　half…

intelligence。　　Without　being　able　to　convince　herself　that　he

understood　her　better　than　his　regular　attendant　furnished　by　the

doctor；　she　could　not　fail　to　see　that　he　obeyed　her　implicitly；

and　that　whenever　any　difficulty　arose　between　him　and　his　nurse

she　was　always　appealed　to。　　Her　pride　in　this　proof　of　her

practical　sovereignty　WAS　flattered；　and　when　Doctor　Duchesne

finally　admitted　that　although　the　patient　was　now　physically　able

to　be　removed　to　the　hospital；　yet　he　would　lose　in　the　change　that

very　strong　factor　which　Josephine　had　become　in　his　mental

recovery；　the　young　girl　as　frankly　suggested　that　he　should　stay

as　long　as　there　was　any　hope　of　restoring　his　reason。　　Doctor

Duchesne　was　delighted。　　With　all　his　enthusiasm　for　science；　he

had　a　professional　distrust　of　some　of　its　disciples；　and　perhaps

was　not　sorry　to　keep　this　most　interesting　case　in　his　own　hands。

To　him　her　suggestion　was　only　a　womanly　kindness；　tempered　with

womanly　curiosity。　　But　the　astonishment　and　stupefaction　of　her

parents　at　this　evident　corroboration　of　suspicions　they　had　as　yet

only　half　believed　was　tinged　with　superstitious　dread。　　Had　she

fallen　in　love　with　this　helpless　stranger？　or；　more　awful　to

contemplate；　was　he　really　no　stranger；　but　a　surreptitious　lover

thus　strategically　brought　under　her　roof？　　For　once　they　refrained

from　open　criticism。　　The　very　magnitude　of　their　suspicions　left

them　dumb。



It　was　thus　that　the　virgin　Chatelaine　of　Burnt　Ridge　Ranch　was

left　to　gaze　untrammeled　upon　her　pale　and　handsome　guest；　whose

silken；　bearded　lips　and　sad；　childlike　eyes　might　have　suggested　a

more　Exalted　Sufferer　in　their　absence　of　any　suggestion　of　a

grosser　material　manhood。　　But　even　this　imaginative　appeal　did　not

enter　into　her　feelings。　　She　felt　for　her　good…looking；　helpless

patient　a　profound　and　honest　pity。　　I　do　not　know　whether　she　had

ever　heard　that　〃pity　was　akin　to　love。〃　　She　would　probably　have

resented　that　utterly　untenable　and　atrocious　commonplace。　　There

was　no　suggestion；　real　or　illusive；　of　any　previous　masterful

quality　in　the　man　which　might　have　made　his　present　dependent

condition　picturesque　by　contrast。　　He　had　come　to　her　handicapped

by　an　unromantic　accident　and　a　practical　want　of　energy　and

intellect。　　He　would　have　to　touch　her　interest　anew　if；　indeed；　he

would　ever　succeed　in　dispelling　the　old　impression。　　His　beauty；

in　a　community　of　picturesquely　handsome　men；　had　little　weight

with　her；　except　to　accent　the　contrast　with　their　fuller　manhood。



Her　life　had　given　her　no　illusions　in　regard　to　the　other　sex。

She　had　found　them；　however；　more　congenial　and　safer　companions

than　women；　and　more　accessible　to　her　own　sense　of　justice　and

honor。　　In　return；　they　had　respected　and　admired　rather　than

loved　her；　in　spite　of　her　womanly　graces。　　If　she　had　at　times

contemplated　eventual　marriage；　it　was　only　as　a　possible　practical

partnership　in　her　business；　but　as　she　lived　in　a　country　where

men　thought　it　dishonorable　and　a　proof　of　incompetency　to　rise　by

their　wives'　superior　fortune；　she　had　been　free　from　that　kind　of

mercenary　persecution；　even　from　men　who　might　have　worshiped　her

in　hopeless　and　silent　honor。



For　this　reason；　there　was　nothing　in　the　situation　that　suggested

a　single　compromising　speculation　in　the　minds　of　the　neighbors；　or

disturbed　her　own　tranquillity。　　There　seemed　to　be　nothing　in　the

future　except　a　possible　relief　to　her　curiosity。　　Some　day　the

unfortunate　man's　reason　would　be　restored；　and　he　would　tell　his

simple　history。　　Perhaps　he　might　explain　what　was　in　his　mind　when

he　turned　to　her　the　first　evening　with　that　singular　sentence

which　had　often　recurred　strangely　to　her；　she　knew　not　why。　　It

did　not　strike　her　until　later　that　it　was　because　it　had　been　the

solitary　indication　of　an　energy　and　capacity　that　seemed　unlike

him。　　Nevertheless；　after　that　explanation；　she　would　have　been

quite　willing　to　have　shaken　hands　with　him　and　parted。



And　yetfor　there　was　an　unexpressed　remainder　in　her　thought

she　was　never　entirely　free　or　uninfluenced　in　his　presence。　　The

flickering　vacancy　of　his　sad　eyes　sometimes　became　fixed　with　a

resolute　immobility　under　the　gentle　questioning　with　which　she　had

sought　to　draw　out　his　faculties；　that　both　piqued　and　exasperated

her。　　He　could　say　〃Yes〃　and　〃No；〃　as　she　thought　intelligently；

but　he　could　not　utter　a　coherent　sentence　nor　write　a　word；　except

like　a　child　in　imitation　of　his　copy。　　She　taught　him　to　repeat

after　her　the　names　of　the　inanimate　objects　in　the　room；　then　the

names　of　the　doctor；　his　attendant；　the　servant；　and；　finally；　her

own　under　her　Christian　prenomen；　with　frontier　familiarity；　but

when　she　pointed　to　himself　he　waited　for　HER　to　name　him！　　In　vain

she　tried　him　with　all　the　masculine　names　she　knew；　his　was　not

one　of　them；　or　he　would　not　or　could　not　speak　it。　　For　at　times

she　rejected　the　professional　dictum　of　the　doctor　that　the　faculty

of　memory　was　wholly　paralyzed　or　held　in　abeyance；　even　to　the

half…automatic　r