denunciationoftheirpastlife——previoustotheirconversion。IfIammistakenI——er——askyourpardon，andtheirsand——er——holdmyselfresponsible——er——personallyresponsible！“
　　Thepreacherglanceduneasilyatthecolonel，butreplied，stillinthehystericalintonationofhisexordium:——
　　“Yes！acompletesearchingofhearts——acastingoutofthesevenDevilsofPride，VainGlory“——
　　“Thankyou——thatissufficient，“saidthecolonelblandly。“ButmightI——er——bepermittedtosuggestthatyou——er——er——SETTHEMTHE
　　EXAMPLE！Thestatementofthecircumstancesattendingyourownpastlifeandconversionwouldbesingularlyinterestingandexemplary。“
　　Thepreacherturnedsuddenlyandglancedatthecolonelwithfuriouseyessetinanashyface。
　　“IfthisisthefloutingandjeeringoftheUngodlyandDissolute，“
　　hescreamed，“woetoyou！Isay——woetoyou！WhathavesuchasYOUtodowithmypreviousstateofunregeneracy？“
　　“Nothing，“saidthecolonelblandly，“unlessthatstatewerealsotheSTATEOFARKANSAS！Then，sir，asaformermemberoftheArkansasBAR——Imightbeabletoassistyourmemory——and——er——evencorroborateyourconfession。“
　　Butheretheenthusiasticadherentsofthepreacher，vaguelyconsciousofsomedangertotheiridol，gatheredthreateninglyroundtheplatformfromwhichhehadpromptlyleapedintotheirmidst，leavingthecolonelalone，tofacetheseaofangryupturnedfaces。Butthatgallantwarriorneveralteredhischaracteristicpose。Behindhimloomedthereputationofthedozenduelshehadfought，thegold-headedstickonwhichheleanedwasbelievedtocontaineighteeninchesofshiningsteel——andthepeopleofLaurelSpringhaddiscretion。
　　Hesmiledsuavely，steppedjauntilydown，andmadehiswaytotheentrancewithoutmolestation。
　　ButherehewasmetbyBlairandSlocum，andadozeneagerquestions:——
　　“Whatwasit？““Whathadhedone？““WHOwashe？“
　　“Ablankshyster，whohadswindledthewidowsandorphansinArkansasandescapedfromjail。“
　　“Andhisnameisn’tBrown？“
　　“No，“saidthecolonelcurtly。
　　“Whatisit？“
　　“Thatisamatterwhichconcernsonlymyselfandhim，sir，“saidthecolonelloftily；“butforwhichIam——er——personallyresponsible。“
　　AwildideatookpossessionofBlair。
　　“Andyousayhewasanoteddesperado？“hesaidwithnervoushesitation。
　　Thecolonelglared。
　　“Desperado，sir！Never！Blankitall！——amean，psalm-singing，crawling，sneakthief！“
　　AndBlairfeltrelievedwithoutknowingexactlywhy。
　　Thenextdayitwasknownthatthepreacher，GabrielBrown，hadleftLaurelSpringonanurgent“Gospelcall“elsewhere。
　　ColonelStarbottlereturnedthatnightwithhisfriendstothecountytown。Strangetosay，amajorityoftheaudiencehadnotgraspedthefullsignificanceofthecolonel’sunseemlyinterruption，andthosewhohad，aspartisans，keptitquiet。
　　Blair，torturedbydoubt，hadanewdelicacyaddedtohishesitation，whichlefthimhelplessuntilthewidowshouldtaketheinitiativeinexplanation。
　　Asuddensummonsfromhispatientattheloggers’campthenextdaybroughthimagaintothefatefulredwoods。Buthewasvexedandmystifiedtofind，onarrivingatthecamp，thathehadbeenmadethevictimofsomestupidblunder，andthatnomessagehadbeensentfromthere。HewasreturningabstractedlythroughthewoodswhenhewasamazedatseeingatalittledistancebeforehimtheflutterofMrs。MacGlowrie’swell-knowndarkgreenridinghabitandthefigureoftheladyherself。Herdogwasnotwithher，neitherwastherevivalpreacher——orhemighthavethoughtthewholevisionatrickofhismemory。Butsheslackenedherpace，andhewasobligedtoreinupabreastofherinsomeconfusion。
　　“IhopeIwon’tshockyouagainbyridingalonethroughthewoodswithaman，“shesaidwithalightlaugh。
　　Nevertheless，shewasquitepaleasheanswered，somewhatcoldly，thathehadnorighttobeshockedatanythingshemightchoosetodo。
　　“ButyouWEREshocked，foryourodeawaythelasttimewithoutspeaking，“shesaid；“andyet“——shelookedupsuddenlyintohiseyeswithasmilelessface——“thatmanyousawmewithoncehadabetterrighttoridealonewithmethananyotherman。Hewas“——
　　“Yourlover？“saidBlairwithbrutalbrevity。
　　“Myhusband！“returnedMrs。MacGlowrieslowly。
　　“ThenyouareNOTawidow，“gaspedBlair。
　　“No。Iamonlyadivorcedwoman。ThatiswhyIhavehadtolivealiehere。Thatman——thathypocrite——whosesecretwasonlyhalfexposedtheothernight，wasmyhusband——divorcedfrommebythelaw，when，anescapedconvict，hefledwithanotherwomanfromtheStatethreeyearsago。“Herfaceflushedandwhitenedagain；sheputupherhandblindlytoherstrayinghair，andforaninstantseemedtoswayinthesaddle。
　　ButBlairasquicklyleapedfromhishorse，andwasbesideher。
　　“Letmehelpyoudown，“hesaidquickly，“andrestyourselfuntilyouarebetter。“Beforeshecouldreply，heliftedhertenderlytothegroundandplacedheronamossystumpalittledistancefromthetrail。Hercolorandafaintsmilereturnedtohertroubledface。
　　“Hadwenotbettergoon？“shesaid，lookingaround。“IneverwentsofarastositdowninthewoodswithHIMthatday。“
　　“Forgiveme，“hesaidpleadingly，“but，ofcourse，Iknewnothing。
　　Idislikedthemanfrominstinct——Ithoughthehadsomepoweroveryou。“
　　“Hehasnone——exceptthesecretthatwouldalsohaveexposedhimself。“
　　“Butothersknewit。ColonelStarbottlemusthaveknownhisname？
　　Andyet“——asherememberedhestammered——“herefusedtotellme。“
　　“Yes，butnotbecauseheknewhewasmyhusband，butbecauseheknewheborethesamename。Hethinks，aseveryonedoes，thatmyhusbanddiedinSanFrancisco。Themanwhodiedtherewasmyhusband’scousin——adesperatemanandanotedduelist。“
　　“AndYOUassumedtobeHISwidow？“saidtheastoundedBlair。
　　“Yes，butdon’tblamemetoomuch，“shesaidpathetically。“Itwasawild，asillydeceit，butitwaspartlyforceduponme。ForwhenIfirstarrivedacrosstheplains，atthefrontier，Iwasstillbearingmyhusband’sname，andalthoughIwasaloneandhelpless，I
　　foundmyselfstrangelywelcomedandrespectedbythoserudefrontiersmen。ItwasnotlongbeforeIsawitwasbecauseIwaspresumedtobethewidowofALLENMacGlowrie——whohadjustdiedinSanFrancisco。Iletthemthinkso，forIknew——whattheydidnot——
　　thatAllen’swifehadseparatedfromhimandmarriedagain，andthatmytakinghisnamecoulddonoharm。Iacceptedtheirkindness；theygavememyfirststartinbusiness，whichbroughtmehere。Itwasnotmuchofadeceit，“shecontinued，withaslighttrembleofherprettylip，“toprefertopassasthewidowofadeaddesperadothantobeknownasthedivorcedwifeofalivingconvict。Ithashurtnoone，andithassavedmejustnow。“
　　“Youwereright！Noonecouldblameyou，“saidBlaireagerly，seizingherhand。
　　Butshedisengageditgently，andwenton:——
　　“AndnowyouwonderwhyIgavehimameetinghere？“
　　“Iwonderatnothingbutyourcourageandpatienceinallthissuffering！“saidBlairfervently；“andatyourforgivingmeforsocruellymisunderstandingyou。“
　　“Butyoumustlearnall。WhenIfirstsawMacGlowrieunderhisassumedname，Ifainted，forIwasterrifiedandbelievedheknewI
　　washereandhadcometoexposemeevenathisownrisk。ThatwaswhyIhesitatedbetweengoingawayoropenlydefyinghim。ButitappearshewasmorefrightenedthanIatfindingmehere——hehadsupposedIhadchangedmynameafterthedivorce，andthatMrs。
　　MacGlowrie，LaurelSpring，washiscousin’swidow。WhenhefoundoutwhoIwashewaseagertoseemeandagreeuponamutualsilencewhilehewashere。Hethoughtonlyofhimself，“sheaddedscornfully，“andColonelStarbottle’srecognitionofhimthatnightastheconvictedswindlerwasenoughtoputhimtoflight。“
　　“Andthecolonelneversuspectedthatyouwerehiswife？“saidBlair。
　　“Never！Hesupposedfromthenamethathewassomerelationofmyhusband，andthatwaswhyherefusedtotellit——formysake。Thecolonelisanoldfogy——andpompous——butagentleman——asgoodastheymakethem！“
　　AslightlyjealousuneasinessandagreatersenseofshamecameoverBlair。
　　“Iseemtohavebeentheonlyonewhosuspectedanddidnotaidyou，“hesaidsadly，“andyetGodknows“——
　　Thewidowhadputupherslimhandinhalf-smiling，half-patheticinterruption。