“Well!” exclaimed Douglas.  “What’s happened to you, Marion?”

Marion put back her great braid of hair, but what answer she might have made they were not to know, for at that moment Charleton returned from his wild horse hunt.  Dust-covered and sunburned he strode into the room with a pleasant grin.

“Hello, folks!  Why, Marion, are you sick?”

“Kind of.  What luck, Dad?”

“Fair.  Brought in a good stallion and some weedy stuff.  How’s the ranch, Jimmy?”

He asked this with his eyes still on his daughter.

“O.K., Charleton,” replied Jimmy.

“You made a long trip, Charleton,” said Douglas.

“Left the day after the rodeo,” tossing his hat and gloves on the floor and sitting down on the edge of the bed.  “I remember Little Marion was laid up then with a sprained ankle or something.  What do you hear from your mother, Marion?”

“She’s well and so’s the baby.  They’ll be home anytime now.”

“What’s the matter with you, Marion?”

“O, I’m sort of used up.”

“How do you mean used up?  I don’t like your looks.  I’m not a fool, you know.”

Marion burst into tears.  “You know what it is!”

Charleton made a sudden spring at Jimmy; but Douglas caught him by the arm.

“Hold on, Charleton!” cried Doug.  “If things have gone wrong, you’re as much to blame as any one.”

“You clear out of here, Doug!” shouted Charleton.

“Don’t you go, Doug and Judith!” sobbed Marion.  “I need some one to stand by me.”

“I’m standing by you, Marion,” said Jimmy, who had not stirred from his chair.  “I’d just as soon you’d beat me up, Charleton.  A little sooner.  But that isn’t going to help matters.”

Charleton stood glaring at his prospective son-in-law.

“Come off, Charleton!” cried Douglas disgustedly.  “You are a fine one to raise trouble over a situation like this.  Strikes me you’ve done everything you could do to bring it about.”

Charleton did not seem to hear.  His face was cold and hard.  “Marion, you and Jimmy pack up and get out of here!”

“I can’t, Dad!  I’m too sick!” sobbed the girl.

“Sick or no sick, you get out of here!”

“Don’t you do it, Marion!” cried Judith.  “No man’s got a right to act so at a time like this.  I’ll stick by you.  Jimmy, you go get Grandma Brown.  I’ll bet she can fix Charleton.”

Jimmy rushed out of the house.

“Now, Doug,” Judith went on, walking over to take Marion’s hand, “you and Charleton go on out while I have a talk with Marion.”

“This happens to be my house,” said Charleton.  “Marion, get up and get out!”

“I can’t!” repeated the girl.

“You are a fine guy to tell a fellow how to live on wine, women and horses,” exclaimed Douglas, “and then raise the devil when your chickens come home to roost.  We all know Little Marion was born a month before you were married.”