“You’ve happened!  By jove, you’ve grown to be a beautiful woman!”

“Huh!  Doug says I’m a homely, pug-nosed outlaw.”

“Doug’s a fool kid.  It takes a man like me that knows women to appreciate you, Jude.”

“Doug’ll hear you,” warned the girl.

“He’s been dead for an hour.  Give me a kiss, Judith.”

“I don’t think I will, I’m too sleepy and tired.  Guess I’ll go to bed!” She rose, dropping “Bleak House” as she did so.

Mrs. Spencer woke with a start.  “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing!  I just dropped a book.”  Judith retired to her own corner and shortly she too was asleep.

But Douglas, new thoughts surging through his brain, lay awake long after his father had turned out the light and crawled in beside Mary.  Of a sudden, he had seen Judith through his father’s eyes and he found himself very unwilling to permit John to see her so.  Her loneliness had assumed an entirely new aspect to him.  It was the loneliness of girlhood, of girlhood without father, mother, or brother.  That was what it amounted to, he told himself.  He never had been a real brother to Judith, never had looked out for her as if she had been his sister.  And Jude’s mother!  Just tired and sweet and broken, about as well fitted to cope with her fiery daughter as with the unbroken Morgan colt which was John’s pride.  As for his father—!  Douglas turned over with a deep breath.  Let his father take heed!  Judith!  Judith with her glowing wistful eyes, her crimson cheeks, her dauntless courage, her vivid mind!  Judith, with her loneliness, was his to guard from now on.  Funny how a guy could feel so all of a sudden!  Funny, if he really should love old Jude, with her fiery temper and more fiery tongue.  And if this were love, love was not so comfortable a feeling, after all.  It was a profound uneasiness, that uprooted every settled habit of his spiritual being.  It was, he told himself, before he fell asleep, a funny thing, love!

CHAPTER II

OSCAR JEFFERSON

“Help those that need help.”

_—­Grandma Brown_.

The next morning while Doug was feeding in the corral, his father hitched a team to the hay wagon.  Just as he prepared to climb over the wheel, Judith came out, ready for her ride to the Days’ ranch, where she was to spend the day.

“Say, Jude,” called John.  “I want Doug to go to the old ranch after some colts.  You come with me and help feed.  I’m going to get all I can out of you two until school begins again.”

Judith crossed silently to the wagon and climbed aboard.  Douglas dropped his pitchfork and walked deliberately toward the fence.  As he climbed it, he said, “Judith, you aren’t going.  You keep your date with Maud.”  He dropped from the fence to his father’s side.

John turned to him with a look of entire astonishment.

“Jude’s growing up, as you say,” explained Douglas heavily.  “If you aren’t going to look out for her, I am.”