did　not　wear　except　in　his　presence。　　In　his　singular
  truthfulness　he　would　have　frankly　confessed　it　to　Teresa；　but
  the　secret　was　not　his　own。　　He　contented　himself　with　saying
  that　he　had　disposed　of　it　at　Indian　Spring。
  Teresa　started；　and　communicated　unconsciously　some　of　her
  nervousness　to　her　companion。　　They　gazed　in　each　other's　eyes
  with　a　troubled　expression。
  〃Do　you　think　it　was　wise　to　sell　that　particular　skin；　which
  might　be　identified？〃　she　asked　timidly。
  Low　knitted　his　arched　brows；　but　felt　a　strange　sense　of　relief。
  〃Perhaps　not；〃　he　said　carelessly；　〃but　it's　too　late　now　to　mend
  matters。〃
  That　afternoon　she　wrote　several　letters；　and　tore　them　up。　　One；
  however；　she　retained；　and　handed　it　to　Low　to　post　at　Indian
  Spring；　whither　he　was　going。　　She　called　his　attention　to　the
  superscription；　being　the　same　as　the　previous　letter；　and　added；
  with　affected　gayety；　〃But　if　the　answer　isn't　as　prompt；　perhaps
  it　will　be　pleasanter　than　the　last。〃　　Her　quick　feminine　eye
  noticed　a　little　excitement　in　his　manner　and　a　more　studious
  attention　to　his　dress。　　Only　a　few　days　before　she　would　not
  have　allowed　this　to　pass　without　some　mischievous　allusion　to
  his　mysterious　sweetheart；　it　troubled　her　greatly　now　to　find
  that　she　could　not　bring　herself　to　this　household　pleasantry；
  and　that　her　lip　trembled　and　her　eye　grew　moist　as　he　parted
  from　her。
  The　afternoon　passed　slowly；　he　had　said　he　might　not　return　to
  supper　until　late；　nevertheless　a　strange　restlessness　took
  possession　of　her　as　the　day　wore　on。　　She　put　aside　her　work；
  the　darning　of　his　stockings；　and　rambled　aimlessly　through　the
  woods。　　She　had　wandered　she　knew　not　how　far；　when　she　was
  suddenly　seized　with　the　same　vague　sense　of　a　foreign　presence
  which　she　had　felt　before。　　Could　it　be　Curson　again；　with　a　word
  of　warning？　　No！　she　knew　it　was　not　he；　so　subtle　had　her　sense
  become　that　she　even　fancied　that　she　detected　in　the　invisible
  aura　projected　by　the　unknown　no　significance　or　relation　to
  herself　or　Low；　and　felt　no　fear。　　Nevertheless　she　deemed　it
  wisest　to　seek　the　protection　of　her　sylvan　bower；　and　hurried
  swiftly　thither。
  But　not　so　quickly　nor　directly　that　she　did　not　once　or　twice
  pause　in　her　flight　to　examine　the　new…comer　from　behind　a
  friendly　trunk。　　He　was　a　strangera　young　fellow　with　a　brown
  mustache；　wearing　heavy　Mexican　spurs　in　his　riding…boots；　whose
  tinkling　he　apparently　did　not　care　to　conceal。　　He　had　perceived
  her；　and　was　evidently　pursuing　her；　but　so　awkwardly　and　timidly
  that　she　eluded　him　with　ease。　　When　she　had　reached　the　security
  of　the　hollow　tree　and　pulled　the　curtain　of　bark　before　the
  narrow　opening；　with　her　eye　to　the　interstices；　she　waited　his
  coming。　　He　arrived　breathlessly　in　the　open　space　before　the
  tree　where　the　bear　once　lay；　the　dazed；　bewildered；　and　half…
  awed　expression　of　his　face；　as　he　glanced　around　him　and　through
  the　openings　of　the　forest　aisles；　brought　a　faint　smile　to　her
  saddened　face。　　At　last　he　called　in　a　half…embarrassed　voice：
  〃Miss　Nellie！〃
  The　smile　faded　from　Teresa's　cheek。　　Who　was　〃Miss　Nellie？〃　　She
  pressed　her　ear　to　the　opening。　　〃Miss　Wynn！〃　the　voice　again
  called；　but　was　lost　in　the　echoless　woods。　　Devoured　with　a　new
  gratuitous　curiosity；　in　another　moment　Teresa　felt　she　would
  have　disclosed　herself　at　any　risk；　but　the　stranger　rose　and
  began　to　retrace　his　steps。　　Long　after　his　tinkling　spurs　were
  lost　in　the　distance；　Teresa　remained　like　a　statue；　staring　at
  the　place　where　he　had　stood。　　Then　she　suddenly　turned　like　a
  mad　woman；　glanced　down　at　the　gown　she　was　wearing；　tore　it　from
  her　back　as　if　it　had　been　a　polluted　garment；　and　stamped　upon
  it　in　a　convulsion　of　rage。　　And　then；　with　her　beautiful　bare
  arms　clasped　together　over　her　head；　she　threw　herself　upon　her
  couch　in　a　tempest　of　tears。
  CHAPTER　VI
  When　Miss　Nellie　reached　the　first　mining　extension　of　Indian
  Spring；　which　surrounded　it　like　a　fosse；　she　descended　for　one
  instant　into　one　of　its　trenches；　opened　her　parasol；　removed　her
  duster；　hid　it　under　a　bowlder；　and　with　a　few　shivers　and　cat…
  like　strokes　of　her　soft　hands　not　only　obliterated　all　material
  traces　of　the　stolen　cream　of　Carquinez　Woods；　but　assumed　a
  feline　demureness　quite　inconsistent　with　any　moral　dereliction。
  Unfortunately；　she　forgot　to　remove　at　the　same　time　a　certain
  ring　from　her　third　finger；　which　she　had　put　on　with　her　duster
  and　had　worn　at　no　other　time。　　With　this　slight　exception；　the
  benignant　fate　which　always　protected　that　young　person　brought
  her　in　contact　with　the　Burnham　girls　at　one　end　of　the　main
  street　as　the　returning　coach　to　Excelsior　entered　the　other；　and
  enabled　her　to　take　leave　of　them　before　the　coach　office　with　a
  certain　ostentation　of　parting　which　struck　Mr。　Jack　Brace；　who
  was　lingering　at　the　doorway；　into　a　state　of　utter　bewilderment。
  Here　was　Miss　Nellie　Wynn；　the　belle　of　Excelsior；　calm；　quiet；
  self…possessed；　her　chaste　cambric　skirts　and　dainty　shoes　as
  fresh　as　when　she　had　left　her　father's　house；　but　where　was　the
  woman　of　the　brown　duster；　and　where　the　yellow…dressed
  apparition　of　the　woods？　　He　was　feebly　repeating　to　himself　his
  mental　adjuration　of　a　few　hours　before　when　he　caught　her　eye；
  and　was　taken　with　a　blush　and　a　fit　of　coughing。　　Could　he　have
  been　such　an　egregious　fool；　and　was　it　not　plainly　written　on
  his　embarrassed　face　for　her　to　read？
  〃Are　we　going　down　together？〃　asked　Miss　Nellie　with　an
  exceptionally　gracious　smile。
  There　was　neither　affectation　nor　coquetry　in　this　advance。　　The
  girl　had　no　idea　of　Brace's　suspicion　of　her；　nor　did　any　uneasy
  desire　to　placate　or　deceive　a　possible　rival　of　Low's　prompt　her
  graciousness。　　She　simply　wished　to　shake　off　in　this　encounter
  the　already　stale　excitement　of　the　past　two　hours；　as　she　had
  shaken　the　dust　of　the　woods　from　her　clothes。　　It　was
  characteristic　of　her　irresponsible　nature　and　transient
  susceptibilities　that　she　actually　enjoyed　the　relief　of　change；
  more　than　that；　I　fear；　she　looked　upon　this　infidelity　to　a　past
  dubious　pleasure　as　a　moral　principle。　　A　mild；　open　flirtation
  with　a　recognized　man　like　Brace；　after　her　secret　passionate
  tryst　with　a　nameless　nomad　like　Low；　was　an　ethical　equipoise
  that　seemed　proper　to　one　of　her　religious　education。
  Brace　was　only　too　happy　to　profit　by　Miss　Nellie's　condescension；
  he　at　once　secured　the　seat　by　her　side；　and　spent　the　four　hours
  and　a　half　of　their　return　journey　to　Excelsior　in　blissful　but
  timid　communion　with　her。　　If　he　did　not　dare　to　confess　his　past
  suspicions；　he　was　equally　afraid　to　venture　upon　the　boldness　he
  had　premeditated　a　few　hours　before。　　He　was　therefore　obliged　to
  take　a　middle　course　of　slightly　egotistical　narration　of　his　own
  personal　adventures；　with　which　he　beguiled　the　young　girl's　ear。
  This　he　only　departed　from　once；　to　describe　to　her　a　valuable
  grizzly　bearskin　which　he　had　seen　that　day　for　sale　at　Indian
  Spring；　with　a　view　to　divining　her　possible　acceptance　of　it
  for　a　〃buggy　robe；〃　and　once　to　comment　upon　a　ring　which　she
  had　inadvertently　disclosed　in　pulling　off　her　glove。
  〃It's　only　an　old　family　keepsake；〃　she　added；　with　easy
  mendacity；　and　affecting　to　recognize　in　Mr。　Brace's　curiosity　a
  not　unnatural　excuse　for　toying　with　her　charming　fingers；　she
  hid　them　in　chaste　and　virginal　seclusion　in　her　lap；　until　she
  could　recover　the　ring　and　resume　her　glove。
  A　week　passeda　week　of　peculiar　and　desiccating　heat　for　even
  those　dry　Sierra　table…lands。　　The　long　days　were　filled　with
  impalpable　dust　and　acrid　haze　suspended　in　the　motionless　air；
  the　nights　were　breathless　and　dewless；　the　cold　wind　which
  usually　swept　down　from　the　snow　line　was　laid　to　sleep　over　a
  dark　monotonous　level；　whose　horizon　was　pricked　with　the　eating
  fires　of　burning　forest　crests。　　The　lagging　coach　of　Indian
  Spring　drove　up　at　Excelsior；　and　precipitated　its　passengers
  with　an　accompanying　cloud　of　dust　before　the　Excelsior　Hotel。
  As　they　emerged　from　the　coach；　Mr。　Brace；　standing　in　the
  doorway；　closely　scanned　their　begrimed　and　almost　unrecognizable
  faces。　　They　were　the　usual　type　of　travelers：　a　single
  professional　man　in　dusty　black；　a　few　traders　in　tweeds　and
  flannels；　a　sprinkling　of　miners　in　red　and　gray　shirts；　a
  Chinaman；　a　negro；　and　a　Mexican　packer　or　muleteer。　　This　latter
  for　a　moment　mingled　with　the　crowd　in　the　bar…room；　and　even
  penetrated　the　corridor　and　dining…room　of　the　hotel；　as　if
  impelled　by　a　certain　semi…civilized　curiosity；　and　then　strolled
  with　a　lazy；　dragging　stephalf　impeded　by　the　enormous　leather
  leggings；　chains；　and　spurs；　peculiar　to　his　classdown　the　main
  street。　　The　darkness　was　gathering；　but　the　muleteer　indulged　in
  the　same　childish　scrutiny　of　the　dimly　lighted　shops；　magazines；
  and　saloons；　and　even　of　the　occasional　groups　of　citizens　at　the
  street　corners。　　Apparently　young；　as　far　as　the　outlines　of　his
  figure　could　be　seen；　he　seemed　to　show　even　more　than　the　usual
  concern　of　masculine　Excelsior　in　the　charms　of　womankind。　　The
  few　female　figures　about　at　that　h