She had thrown the linen coat over the seat of an old wagon-bed that lay near.
"Good water is scarce here, but I'm glad we have some," said Kurt; then as he set down the bucket and offered a brimming cupful to the girl he saw her face, and his eyes met hers.

He dropped the cup and stared.

Then hurriedly, with flushing face, he bent over to recover and refill it.
"Ex-excuse me.

I'm--clumsy," he managed to say, and as he handed the cup to her he averted his gaze.

For more than a year the memory of this very girl had haunted him.