Mr。McLeanlaughedmirthfullyatthelover。“Well，“hesaid，“Mrs。McLeanwillbeglad。Shetoldmetogiveyu’hercongratulationsquiteawhileago。Iwastohave’emreadyjustassoonaseveryu’askedfor’emyourself。“Linhadbeenmadeahappymansometwelvemonthsprevioustothis。Andnow，bywayofanexchangeofnews，headded:“We’reexpectin’alittleMcLeandownonBoxElder。That’swhatyou’llbeexpectin’someofthesedays，Ihope。“
“Yes，“murmuredtheVirginian，“Ihopesotoo。“
“AndIdon’tguess，“saidLin，“thatyouandIwilldomuchshufflin’ofotherfolks’childrenanymore。“
WhereuponheandtheVirginianshookhandssilently，andunderstoodeachotherverywell。
OnthedaythattheVirginianpartedwithMolly，besidetheweightoffarewellwhichlayheavyonhisheart，histhoughtswerealsogravewithnews。Thecattlethieveshadgrownmoreaudacious。Horsesandcattlebothwerebeingmissed，andeachmanbeganalmosttodoubthisneighbor。
“Stepswillhavetobetakensoonbysomebody，Ireckon，“saidthelover。
“Byyou？“sheaskedquickly。
“MostlikelyI’llgetmixedupwithit。“
“Whatwillyouhavetodo？““Can’tsay。I’lltellyu’whenIcomeback。
Sodidhepartfromher，leavinghermorekissesthanwordstoremember。
AndwhatwasdoingatBennington，meanwhile，andatDunbarton？
ThosethreeletterswhichbytheirmereoutsidehadsomovedMrs。
Taylor，producedbytheircontentsmuchpainfuldisturbance。
ItwillberememberedthatMollywrotetohermother，andtohergreat-aunt。Thatannouncementtohermotherwasundertakenfirst。
Itscompositionoccupiedthreehoursandahalf，anditfilledelevenpages，notcountingapostscriptuponthetwelfth。Thelettertothegreat-aunttookonlytenminutes。Icannotpretendtoexplainwhythisonewassogreatlysuperiortotheother；butsuchistheremarkablefact。Itsbeginning，tobesure，didgivetheoldladyastart；shehaddismissedthecow-boyfromherprobabilities。
“Tut，tut，tut！“sheexclaimedoutloudinherbedroom。“Shehasthrownherselfawayonthatfellow！“
Butsomesentencesattheendmadeherpauseandsitstillforalongwhile。Theseverityuponherfacechangedtotenderness，gradually。“Ah，me，“shesighed。“Ifmarriagewereassimpleaslove！“Thenshewentslowlydownstairs，andoutintohergarden，whereshewalkedlongbetweentheboxborders。“Butifshehasfoundagreatlove，“saidtheoldladyatlength。Andshereturnedtoherbedroom，andopenedanolddesk，andreadsomeoldletters。
TherecametoherthenextmorningacommunicationfromBennington。ThishadbeenpennedfranticallybypoorMrs。Wood。
Assoonasshehadbeenabletogatherhersensesaftertheshockofherdaughter’selevenpagesandthepostscript，themotherhadpouredouteightpagesherselftotheeldestmemberofthefamily。Therehadbeen，indeed，muchexcuseforthepoorlady。Tobeginwith，Mollyhadconstructedherwholeopeningpagewiththeexpressandmercifulintentionofpreparinghermother。
Consequently，itmadenosensewhatever。Itseffectwastheusualeffectofremarksdesignedtobreakathinggently。ItmerelymadeMrs。Wood’sheadswim，andfilledherwithasickeningdread。“Oh，mercy，Sarah，“shehadcried，“comehere。Whatdoesthismean？“Andthen，fortifiedbyherelderdaughter，shehadturnedoverthatfirstpageandfoundwhatitmeantonthetopofthesecond。“Asavagewithknivesandpistols！“shewailed。
“Well，mother，Ialwaystoldyouso，“saidherdaughterSarah。
“Whatisaforeman？“exclaimedthemother。“AndwhoisJudgeHenry？““Shehastakenasortofupperservant，“saidSarah。“Ifitisallowedtogoasfarasawedding，IdoubtifIcanbringmyselftobepresent。“(ThisthreatsheproceededtomaketoMolly，withresultsthatshallbesetforthintheirproperplace。)“Themanappearstohavewrittentomehimself，“saidMrs。Wood。“Heknowsnobetter，“saidSarah。“Bosh！“saidSarah’shusbandlater。“Itwasaverymanlythingtodo。“ThusdidconsternationrageinthehouseatBennington。Mollymighthavesparedherselfthemanyassurancesthatshegaveconcerningtheuniversalesteeminwhichhercow-puncherwasheld，andthefairprospectswhichwerehis。So，inthefirstthroesofherdespair，Mrs。Woodwrotethoseeightnotmaturelyconsideredpagestothegreat-aunt。
“Tut，tut，tut！“saidthegreat-auntasshereadthem。Herfacewasmuchmoreseveretoday。“You’dsuppose，“shesaid，“thatthegirlhadbeenkidnapped！Why，shehaskepthimwaitingthreeyears！“Andthenshereadmore，butsoonputtheletterdownwithlaughter。ForMrs。Woodhadrepeatedinwritingthatearlyoutburstofhersaboutasavagewithknivesandpistols。“Law！“
saidthegreat-aunt。“Law，whatafoolLizzieis！“
SoshesatdownandwrotetoMrs。Woodawholesomereplyaboutputtingalittlemoretrustinherownfleshandblood，andremindingheramongotherthingsthatGeneralStarkhadhimselfbeenwonttocarryknivesandpistolsowingtothenecessitiesofhiscareer，butthathehadoccasionallytakenthemoff，asdidprobablythisyoungmaninWyoming。“Youhadbettersendmetheletterhehaswrittenyou，“sheconcluded。“IshallknowmuchbetterwhattothinkafterIhaveseenthat。“
ItisnotprobablethatMrs。Woodgotmuchcomfortfromthiscommunication；andherdaughterSarahwasactuallyenragedbyit。
“Shegrowsmoreperverseasshenearsherdotage，“saidSarah。
ButtheVirginian’sletterwassenttoDunbarton，wheretheoldladysatherselfdowntoreaditwithmuchattention。
HereiswhattheVirginianhadsaidtotheunknownmotherofhissweetheart。
Bennington，Vermont。
Madam:IfyourdaughterMissWoodhasevertoldyouabouthersavingaman’slifeherewhensomeIndianshadshothimthatisthemanwhowritestoyounow。Idon’tthinkshecanhavetoldyourightaboutthataffairforsheistheonlyoneinthiscountrywhothinksitwasalittlething。SoImusttellyouit，themainpoints。SuchanactionwouldhavebeenthoughthighlyofinaWesterngirl，butwithMissWood’sraisingnobodyhadarighttoexpectit。
“Indeed！“snortedthegreat-aunt。“Well，hewouldberight，ifI
hadnothadagooddealmoretodowithher’raising’thaneverLizziehad。“Andshewentonwiththeletter。
Iwasstartingintodiewhenshefoundme。Ididnotknowanythingthen，andshepulledmebackfromwhereIwashalfinthenextworld。ShedidnotknowbutwhatIndianswouldgethertoobutIcouldnotmakeherleaveme。Iamaheavymanonehundredandseventy-threestrippedwheninfullhealth。Sheliftedmeherselffromthegroundmehelpingscarceanyfortherewasnotmuchhelpinmethatday。Shewashedmywoundandbroughtmetowithherownwhiskey。BeforeshecouldgetmehomeIwasoutofmyheadbutshekeptmeonmyhorsesomehowandtalkedwiselytomesoImindedheranddidnotgocleancrazytillshehadgotmesafetobed。ThedoctorsaysIwouldhavediedallthesameifshehadnotnursedmethewayshedid。ItmademelovehermorewhichIdidnotknowIcould。Butthereisnoend，forthiswritingitdownmakesmelovehermoreasIwriteit。
AndnowMrs。WoodIamsorrythiswillbebadnewsforyoutohear。IknowyouwouldneverchoosesuchamanasIamforherforIhavegotnoeducationandmustwritehumbleagainstmybirth。IwishIcouldmakethenewseasierbuttruthisthebest。
IamofoldstockinVirginiaEnglishandoneScotchIrishgrandmothermyfather’sfatherbroughtfromKentucky。Wehavealwaysstayedatthesameplacefarmersandhuntersnotbetteringourlotandveryplain。Wehavefoughtwhenwegotthechance，underOldHickoryandinMexicoandmyfatherandtwobrotherswerekilledintheValleysixty-four。AlwayswithusonesonhasbeenapttorunawayandIwastheonethistime。Ihadtoomucholderbrotheringtosuitme。ButnowIamdoingwellbeinginfullsightofprosperityandnottoooldandverystrongmyhealthhavingstoodthesundriesithasbeenputthrough。Sheshallteachschoolnomorewhensheismine。IwishIcouldmakethisnewseasierforyouMrs。Wood。IdonotlikepromisesIhaveheardsomany。Iwilltellanymanofyourfamilyanythinghelikestoaskone，andJudgeHenrywouldtellyouaboutmyreputation。IhaveseenplentyroughthingsbutcansayIhaveneverkilledforpleasureorprofitandamnotoneofthatkind，alwayspreferringpeace。Ihavehadtoliveinplaceswheretheyhadcourtsandlawyerssocalledbutanhonestmanwasallthelawyoucouldfindinfivehundredmiles。IhavenottoldheraboutthosethingsnotbecauseIamashamedofthembuttherearesomanythingstoodarkforagirllikehertohearabout。
IhadbettertellyouthewayIknowIloveMissWood。Iamnotaboynow，andwomenarenonewthingtome。AmanlikemewhohastravelledmeetsmanyofthemashegoesandpassesonbutI
stoppedwhenIcametoMissWood。ThatisthreeyearsbutIhavenotgoneon。Whatrighthassuchashe？youwillsay。SodidI
sayitaftershehadsavedmylife。Itwashardtogettothatpointandkeeptherewithheraroundmeallday。ButIsaidtomyselfyouhavebotheredherforthreeyearswithyourloveandifyouletyourlovebotherheryoudon’tloveherlikeyoushouldandyoumustquitforhersakewhohassavedyourlife。I
didnotknowwhatIwasgoingtodowithmylifeafterthatbutI
supposedIcouldgosomewhereandworkhardandsoMrs。WoodI
toldherIwouldgiveherup。Butshesaidno。Itisgoingtobehardforhertogetusedtoamanlikeme-
ButatthispointintheVirginian’sletter，theoldgreat-auntcouldreadnomore。Sherose，andwentovertothatdeskwherelaythosefadedlettersofherown。Shelaidherheaddownuponthepackage，andashertearsflowedquietlyuponit，“Odear，“
shewhispered，“Odear！AndthisiswhatIlost！“
TohergirluponBearCreekshewrotethenextday。AndthiswordfromDunbartonwaslikebalmamongtheharshstingsMollywasreceiving。Thevoicesoftheworldreachedheringatheringnumbers，andnotoneofthemsavethatgreat-aunt’swassweet。
Herdayswerefullofhurts；andtherewasnoonebytokissthehurtsaway。Nordidsheevenhearfromherloveranymorenow。
Sheonlyknewhehadgoneintolonelyregionsuponhiserrand。
Thaterrandtookhimfar:-AcrosstheBasin，amongthesecretplacesofOwlCreek，pasttheWashakieNeedles，overtheDividetoGrosVentre，andsothroughafinalbarrierofpeaksintothebordersofEastIdaho。There，byreasonofhisbiddingme，Imethim，andcametoshareinapartofhiserrand。
ItwaswithnoguidethatItravelledtohim。Hehadnamedalittlestationontherailroad，andfromthencehehadchartedmyroutebymeansoflandmarks。DidIbelieveinomens，theblackstormthatIsetoutinuponmyhorsewouldseemlikeoneto-day。
ButIhadbeenlivingincitiesandsmoke；andIdaho，evenwithrain，wasdelightfultome。
Whenthefirstlandmark，theloneclumpofcottonwoods，cameatlengthinsight，darkandblurredinthegentlerain，standingcutperhapsamilebeyondthedistantbuildings，mywholewearybodyhailedtheapproachofrepose。Savingthenoonhour，Ihadbeeninthesaddlesincesix，andnowsixwascomeroundagain。
Theranch，myresting-placeforthisnight，wasaruin——cabin，stable，andcorral。Yetafterthetwelvehoursofpushingonandonthroughsilence，stilltohavesilence，stilltoeatandgotosleepinit，perfectlyfittedthemoodofbothmyfleshandspirit。Atnoon，whenforawhileIhadthrownoffmylongoilskincoat，merelythesightofthenewspaperhalfcrowdedintomypockethadbeenadispleasingreminderoftherailway，andcities，andaffairs。Butforitspossiblehelptobuildfires，itwouldhavecomenofartherwithme。Thegreatlevelsaroundmelaycooledandfreedofdustbythewetweather，andfullofsweetairs。Farinfrontthefoot-hillsrosethroughtherain，indefiniteandmystic。Iwantednospeechwithanyone，nortobenearhumanbeingsatall。Iwassteepedinareveryasoftheprimalearth；eventhoughtsthemselveshadalmostceasedmotion。
Toliedownwithwildanimals，withelkanddeer，wouldhavemademywakingdreamcomplete；andsincesuchdreamcouldnotbe，thecattlearoundthedesertedbuildings，meredotsasyetacrossseparatingspace，weremypropercompanionsforthisevening。
