“Safer for me,” corrected the lieutenant, smiling.  “No, I can’t work that way.  I’ve got to take my own chances.  You can go along, though, on one condition.  You’re not to interfere between me and Struve.  If some one else butts in, you may ask him why, if you like.

“Ay bane t’ink yuh von fool, Steve.  But Ay bane no boss.  Vat yuh says goes.”

They found Arlie watering geraniums in front of the house.  Siegfried merely nodded to her and passed on to the stables with the horses.  Fraser dismounted, offering her his hand and his warm smile.

He had caught her without warning, and she was a little shy of him.  Not only was she embarrassed, but she saw that he knew it.  He sat down on the step, while she continued to water her flowers.

“You see your bad penny turned up again, Miss Arlie,” he said.

“I didn’t know you were able to ride yet, Lieutenant Fraser.”

“This is my first try at it.  Thought I’d run over and say ‘Thank you’ to my nurse.”

“I’ll call auntie,” she said quickly.

He shook his head.  “Not necessary, Miss Arlie.  I settled up with her.  I was thinking of the nurse that ran off and left me.”

She was beginning to recover herself.  “You want to thank her for leaving while there was still hope,” she said, with a quick little smile.

“Why did you do it?  I’ve been mighty lonesome the past two weeks,” he said quietly.

“You would be, of course.  You are used to an active outdoor life, and I suppose the boys couldn’t get round to see you very often.”

“I wasn’t thinking of the boys,” he meditated aloud.

Arlie blushed; and to hide her embarrassment she called to Jimmie, who was passing:  “Bring up Lieutenant Fraser’s Teddy.  I want him to see how well we’re caring for his horse.”

As a diversion, Teddy served very well.  Horse and owner were both mightily pleased to see each other.  While the animal rubbed its nose against his coat, the ranger teased and petted it.

“Hello, you old Teddy hawss.  How air things a-comin’, pardner?” he drawled, with a reversion to his Texas speech.  “Plumb tickled to death to meet up with yore old master, ain’t you?  How come it you ain’t fallen in love with this young lady and forgot Steve?”

“He thinks a lot of me, too,” Arlie claimed promptly.

“Don’t blame you a bit, Teddy.  I’ll ce’tainly shake hands with you on that.  But life’s jest meetin’ and partin’, old hawss.  I got to take you away for good, day after to-morrow.”

“Where are you going?” the girl asked quickly.  Then, to cover the swift interest of her question:  “But, of course, it is time you were going back to your business.”

“No, ma’am, that is just it.  Seems to me either too soon or too late to be going.”

She had her face turned from him, and was busy over her plants, to hide the tremulous dismay that had shaken her at his news.