“A natural born heart-breaker,” he said to himself as he went toward the bunk-house, “a genuine, full-grown vampire, part intentional an’ part because it’s in her—­but she’s a pure-bred—­” He grew pensive and silent, a look of gentleness came to his face, followed quickly by an expression of extreme humility.  “Oh, hell,” he exclaimed aloud, “what’s th’ use!” Entering the building the Ramblin’ Kid seated himself at the table at the end of the room.  He pulled the pink satin elastic from his pocket and gazed at it, rubbing the soft fabric tenderly with the end of his thumb.  His eyes lighted suddenly with anger and contempt.  He threw the band violently across the room into a corner.  “I wasn’t raised to associate with luxuries like that!” he exclaimed with mingled bitterness and scorn, “—­a damned ign’rant cow-puncher dreamin’ dreams about an angel!” he finished with a harsh laugh.  For a while he sat silent, gazing down at the table.  Then he got up, went over and lifted the garter from where it had fallen and replaced it in his pocket.  “Oh, well,” he chuckled less bitterly and whimsically added, “—­any idiot can smile at th’ mornin’ star even if th’ darned thing is beyond his reach!  Besides, she don’t need to ever know—­” Leaving the bunk-house he went toward the circular corral.

Parker climbed from the car and entered the house, asking if Ophelia was ready.

“In just a moment!” the widow called from her room.

“What are you and me going to do?” Skinny asked Carolyn June as they stepped on to the porch, “take a ride?”

“On ’Old Blue’?” Carolyn June questioned scornfully, then, with resignation, as they went inside the house:  “Oh, well—­I suppose, after a while.  I have some letters to write now,” and she entered her room leaving Skinny standing perplexed by her varying moods.  He looked foolishly at Parker a moment.  Going to the graphophone he put on a record—­

  “I’m forever blowing bubbles, pretty bubbles in the air!”

wailed disconsolately through the house.

“Good heavens,” Carolyn June called, “do you blow bubbles this early in the morning?”

“Don’t you like it?” Skinny asked soberly.  “I thought that was a pretty good tune.”

“I’m crazy about it!” Carolyn June answered sarcastically.  “There and then, but not here and now—­”

“Where and when?” Skinny queried innocently.

“In the valley of the moon at the end of a perfect day!” she laughed back. “—­Forgive me, I couldn’t help it!”

“What does she mean?” Skinny asked Parker in a whisper.  “Is she making fun of me?”

“No, you blamed fool,” Parker replied, “she feels good and is just joking—­”

Skinny brightened up immediately.

“That’s a good one,” he called to Carolyn June with a snicker; “I never thought of it before!”

A ripple of laughter came from Carolyn June’s room.

“Really, I don’t mind,” she said; “play Bubbles as much as you like—­I think it’s rather soothing, but truly I must write my letters now so Ophelia can take them to town.”