It increased his sense of inexperience and youthfulness.
"I hope you will believe," she began, "that the few questions I have to ask you are to satisfy my own heart, and for no other purpose." She smiled sadly as she went on.

"Had it been otherwise, I should have instituted a legal inquiry, and left this interview to some one cooler, calmer, and less interested than myself.

But I think, I _know_ I can trust you.

Perhaps we women are weak and foolish to talk of an _instinct_, and when you know my story you may have reason to believe that but little dependence can be placed on _that_; but I am not wrong in saying,--am I ?" (with a sad smile) "that _you_ are not above that weakness ?" She paused, closed her lips tightly, and grasped her hands before her.

"You say you found that ring in the road some three months before--the--the--you know what I mean--the body--was discovered ?" "Yes." "You thought it might have been dropped by some one in passing ?" "I thought so, yes--it belonged to no one in the camp." "Before your cabin or on the highway ?" "Before my cabin." "You are _sure_ ?" There was something so very sweet and sad in her smile that it oddly made Cass color.
"But my cabin is near the road," he suggested.
"I see! And there was nothing else; no paper nor envelope ?" "Nothing." "And you kept it because of the odd resemblance one of the names bore to yours ?" "Yes." "For no other reason ?" "None." Yet Cass felt he was blushing.
"You'll forgive my repeating a question you have already answered, but I am _so_ anxious.