“It’s not fair!  It’s not fair!  I hate the world!  I hate it!  Looks like you’d either got to be like Mother or Inez Rodman.”

“Your mother’s all right.  Only Dad’s broke her just like he broke old Molly horse.”

“Did I ever say my mother wasn’t all right?  Only I’ll tell you one thing, Doug Spencer, Inez Rodman’s given me more sensible warnings about men than my mother ever did.”

Douglas wore a worried expression.  “Seems like there’s something wrong about that.  Mother knows all about those things.”  He cleared his throat.

The half angry look on Judith’s face gave way to a smile.

“O Doug!  Doug!  You old owl!  What’s the matter with you?  After all, it’s good to be alive!  I wish I had a horse as good as Buster and I wouldn’t ask for much more in life.”

“I’ll give you Buster,” said Douglas suddenly.

Judith’s jaw dropped.  “Give me Buster!”

“I mean it.”

“But—­but—­why, Douglas, what’s happened to you?”

“Judith!” Douglas tossed back his yellow; hair and put a brown hand over Judith’s.  “Judith!  I love you.  Won’t you be engaged to me?”

“Love me?” Judith’s beautiful gray eyes opened their widest.  “Why, it doesn’t seem more than yesterday that you were calling me a pug-nosed maverick.  And besides, I’m only fifteen and you’re only seventeen.”

“Is it Scott?” asked Douglas.

“It isn’t anybody!  Why, Douglas, you must be crazy!”

“Do I look crazy?”

Judith stared deep into Douglas’ blue eyes.  “No,” slowly, “you don’t.”

“You can have Buster and Prince too,” said Douglas.

“No, sir, Doug!  Why, they’re all you’ve got in the world!”

“I have that dapple gray Young Jeff gave me after the trial.  He’s old enough to break now.”

There were tears in Judith’s eyes.  “Douglas Spencer, you are a gentleman!  If I do have a horse like Buster, I can be lots more help handling the cattle.”

“He’s yours from this minute,” repeated Douglas.  “And so am I yours.  But I’m not going to nag you about it.  I’m just going to try to look out for you.”

There was something so sober, so gentle, and so determined about Douglas that for once in her life Judith was at a loss for a reply.  She started slowly for the cow shed.  Then she turned back.

“But I’m not going to take Prince, Douglas.  That’s too much!”

“Well,” said Douglas.  “Maybe I will keep Prince for a while.  It’ll be kind of lonesome.”

“Lonesome!” Judith repeated the phrase as though it struck a familiar chord.  “Life is lonesome, isn’t it Doug!  Seems as though I never dare to be myself any more, since Oscar’s death.  That was the first time I ever realized how lonely you can be.”

Douglas nodded, his eyes full of an understanding that was pitiful.  Youth should not be allowed to contemplate this sort of loneliness.  It is soul searing.