The Forbidden Way
fingers.

Larry Berkely nodded, and Wray went into the back office and closed the door behind him. He took out his keys and unlocked the desk, but, instead of sitting at once, he went over to a cracked mirror in the corner and examined his face, grinning at his image and touching the red marks with his fingers.

"That was a love-tap for fair," he said.  "I reckon I deserved it. But she oughtn't to push a man too far. She was sure angry. Won't speak now for a while."  He turned with a confident air. "She'll come around, though," he laughed.  "You just bet she will."  Then he sat down at his desk, took a photograph in a brass frame out of the drawer, put it up against the pen-rack before him, and, folding his arms across the blotter, gazed at it steadily for a moment.

"That was a love-tap for fair," he said.  "I reckon I deserved it. But she oughtn't to push a man too far. She was sure angry. Won't speak now for a while."  He turned with a confident air. "She'll come around, though," he laughed.  "You just bet she will."  Then he sat down at his desk, took a photograph in a brass frame out of the drawer, put it up against the pen-rack before him, and, folding his arms across the blotter, gazed at it steadily for a moment.

"It was a mean trick, wasn't it, Camilla girl?" he muttered, half aloud.  "I'm sorry. But you've got to learn who you belong to. There can't be any fooling of other fellows around Jeff Wray's girl. I just had to kiss you—had to put my seal on you, Camilla. I reckon you put yours on me, too, black and blue."  He laughed ruefully.  "You'll forgive me, though. A diamond necklace or so will square that. You bet it will!"

"It was a mean trick, wasn't it, Camilla girl?" he muttered, half aloud.  "I'm sorry. But you've got to learn who you belong to. There can't be any fooling of other fellows around Jeff Wray's girl. I just had to kiss you—had to put my seal on you, Camilla. I reckon you put yours on me, too, black and blue."  He laughed ruefully.  "You'll forgive me, though. A diamond necklace or so will square 

. You bet it will!"

He put the picture down, hid it away, and took up some papers that lay before him. But when, a while later, Larry Berkely showed Mulrennan in, they found him sitting with his face to the window, looking out with his baby stare over the hundred thousand acres of the Hermosa Company.

He put the picture down, hid it away, and took up some papers that 
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