Parker was elated.  Carolyn June’s proposal had broken up Old Heck’s evening alone with the widow.  Perhaps—­the thought thrilled the foreman —­Ophelia herself had planned it!

“Skinny can keep the graphophone working,” Carolyn June laughed.  “Put on a one-step first,” she said as he rather grudgingly went to the corner and started the music.  “Come on, Bert, we’ll dance this one,” she cried merrily, as she stepped up to the blushing cowboy and put her hand, with a tender little pressure, on his arm.  “It’s ‘ladies’ night,’ you know—­Ophelia, pick your pardner!”

“Aw—­don’t you reckon you ought to choose one of the others first?” Bert, considerably embarrassed by the sudden attention, mumbled as he moved with pretended reluctance but secret eagerness out on to the floor.

“I know who I want to dance with!” Carolyn June whispered significantly with another squeeze of his arm while her warm breath fanned his cheek.

For a moment Ophelia stood as if undecided while Old Heck and Parker each tried by their looks to register unconcern, their hearts meanwhile leaping with uncertain expectancy and hope.  Suddenly turning from both and going up to Charley, she said softly and with well-feigned shyness: 

“I—­I—­please, won’t you dance this one with me?”

“With the most exceeding pleasure!” Charley replied gallantly, arising and reaching out his hands.

Parker and Old Heck gulped their astonishment and disappointment—­each swallowing as if he had something in his throat that would not go down—­and glared savagely at each other.

Skinny next put on a waltz record.  Carolyn June and Chuck swung through its dreamy rhythm while her hair brushed the cowboy’s neck and her eyes, half closed, looked alluringly into his.  “I—­I—­could do this forever—­with you!” she breathed, accenting the last word and making Chuck want to yell for joy.

At the beginning of the waltz Ophelia paused a moment before Old Heck, glanced demurely at Parker, took a step toward the latter, turned quickly to the first and flooding him with a look of tenderness held out her hands while she spoke the simple entreaty: 

“Please!”

Old Heck leaped to his feet, hitched nervously at the belt of his trousers, ran his fingers around the inside of his collar, and, with a look of triumph at Parker, led the widow through the dance.  She permitted her body to relax and lean against her partner, dancing with an abandon that not only fired the emotions of Old Heck to fever heat, but was as well like dippers of oil on the flame of the foreman’s jealousy.

Parker gritted his teeth and followed Old Heck with a look that meant nothing less than the desire to kill!