Belding fetched a pail of water and a basin from the kitchen.  His wife followed him out, and, upon seeing Dick’s hand, was all solicitude.  Then Dick heard light, quick footsteps, but he did not look up.

“Nell, this is Mr. Gale—­Dick Gale, who came with the boys last last night,” said Belding.  “He’s got an awful hand.  Got it punching that greaser Rojas.  I want you to dress it....Gale, this is my step-daughter, Nell Burton, of whom I spoke.  She’s some good when there’s somebody sick or hurt.  Shove out your fist, my boy, and let her get at it.  Supper’s nearly ready.”

Dick felt that same strange, quickening heart throb, yet he had never been cooler in his life.  More than anything else in the world he wanted to look at Nell Burton; however, divining that the situation might be embarrassing to her, he refrained from looking up.  She began to bathe his injured knuckles.  He noted the softness, the deftness of her touch, and then it seemed her fingers were not quite as steady as they might have been.  Still, in a moment they appeared to become surer in their work.  She had beautiful hands, not too large, though certainly not small, and they were strong, brown, supple.  He observed next, with stealthy, upward-stealing glance, that she had rolled up her sleeves, exposing fine, round arms graceful in line.  Her skin was brown—­no, it was more gold than brown.  It had a wonderful clear tint.  Dick stoically lowered his eyes then, putting off as long as possible the alluring moment when he was to look into her face.  That would be a fateful moment.  He played with a certain strange joy of anticipation.  When, however, she sat down beside him and rested his injured hand in her lap as she cut bandages, she was so thrillingly near that he yielded to an irrepressible desire to look up.  She had a sweet, fair face warmly tinted with that same healthy golden-brown sunburn.  Her hair was light gold and abundant, a waving mass.  Her eyes were shaded by long, downcast lashes, yet through them he caught a gleam of blue.

Despite the stir within him, Gale, seeing she was now absorbed in her task, critically studied her with a second closer gaze.  She was a sweet, wholesome, joyous, pretty girl.

“Shore it musta hurt?” replied Laddy, who sat an interested spectator.

“Yes, I confess it did,” replied Dick, slowly, with his eyes on Nell’s face.  “But I didn’t mind.”

The girl’s lashes swept up swiftly in surprise.  She had taken his words literally.  But the dark-blue eyes met his for only a fleeting second.  Then the warm tint in her cheeks turned as red as her lips.  Hurriedly she finished tying the bandage and rose to her feet.

“I thank you,” said Gale, also rising.