Nash appeared divided between two emotions.  Lenore watched him from behind her parted veil.  She had been astonished to find out that, side by side with her intense disgust and shame at the part she was playing, there was a strong, keen, passionate interest in it, owing to the fact that, though she could prove little against this man, her woman’s intuition had sensed his secret deadly antagonism toward her father.  By little significant mannerisms and revelations he had more and more betrayed the German in him.  She saw it in his overbearing conceit, his almost instant assumption that he was her master.  At first Lenore feared him, but, as she learned to hate him she lost her fear.  She had never been alone with him except under such circumstances as this; and she had decided she would not be.

“Wait?” he was expostulating.  “But it’s going to get hot for me.”

“Oh!...  What do you mean?” she begged.  “You frighten me.”

“Lenore, the I.W.W. will have hard sledding in this wheat country.  I belong to that.  I told you.  But the union is run differently this summer.  And I’ve got work to do—­that I don’t like, since I fell in love with you.  Come, run off with me and I’ll give it up.”

Lenore trembled at this admission.  She appeared to be close upon further discovery.

“Harry, how wildly you talk!” she exclaimed.  “I hardly know you.  You frighten me with your mysterious talk....  Have—­a—­a little consideration for me.”

Nash strode back to lean into the car.  Behind his huge goggles his eyes gleamed.  His gloved hand closed hard on her arm.

“It is sudden.  It’s got to be sudden,” he said, in fierce undertone.  “You must trust me.”

“I will.  But you must confide in me,” she replied, earnestly.  “I’m not quite a fool.  You’re rushing me—­too—­too—­”

Suddenly he released her, threw up his hand, then quickly stepped back to the front of the car.  Jake stood in the door of the hotel.  He had seen that action of Nash’s.  Then Anderson appeared, followed by a boy carrying a glass of water for Lenore.  They approached the car, Jake sauntering last, with his curious gaze on Nash.

“Go in an’ get a bite an’ a drink,” said Anderson to the driver.  “An’ hurry.”

Nash obeyed.  Jake’s eyes never left him until he entered the door.  Then Jake stepped in beside Lenore.

“Thet water’s wet, anyhow,” he drawled.

“We’ll get a good cold drink at Dorn’s,” said Anderson.  “Lass, how are you makin’ it?”

“Fine,” she replied, smiling.

“So I seen,” significantly added Jake, with a piercing glance at her.

Lenore realized then that she would have to confide in Jake or run the risk of having violence done to Nash.  So she nodded wisely at the cowboy and winked mischievously, and, taking advantage of Anderson’s entering the car, she whispered in Jake’s ear:  “I’m finding out things.  Tell you—­later.”