He was rather relieved that Kate no longer came near him. It saved trouble. He did not quite know what he would say to Kate at their next meeting. What could he say? What, indeed? He pondered the question till he fell asleep, having arrived at no conclusion.
Next morning Jim Mace came to see him. Loudon besought Jim to help him move to the hotel.
"What's the matter?" said the surprised Jim. "Don't my wife an' Dorothy treat yuh right?"
"Shore they do, but I don't want to bother 'em no more. I'll be better off where I can cuss when I feel like it."
"Mis' Burr won't like it none, yore goin' off thisaway."
"An' my wife won't like it, neither. Lordy, Tom, yuh don't know my wife. She'd hit the ceilin' if I was to tote yuh down to the hotel."
"Say," exclaimed Loudon, "can't a married man do nothin' without askin' his wife?"
"Not if he knows what's healthy," replied Jim Mace, warmly. "I tell yuh, Tom, yuh'll jump through a hoop if yore wife says so. Oh, yuh can laugh all yo're a mind to. Wait till yo're married, an' yuh'll see what I mean."
"I'll wait, yuh can gamble on that. Will yuh help me or do I have to walk there on my hands?"
"I won't help yuh a step. Yuh don't know what yo're askin', Tom. Honest, I'm sorry, but I wouldn't dare help yuh without Lil said I could. Fix it up with her an' I will."
When Jim had gone Loudon swore soulfully, and thought with amazement of the manner in which Jim was under his wife's thumb. If that was the effect of marriage upon a man he wanted none of it. He had no desire to be tied to any one's apron-strings. He wished to be able to call his soul his own. Marriage--bah!
"I want my clothes," he announced to Mrs. Mace at noon.
"Oh, yuh do, do yuh?" cried the lady. "Well, yuh can just want, so yuh can! Yuh won't get 'em, an' that's flat! An' Jim Mace nor nobody else ain't goin' to help yuh down to that hotel. Yo're a-goin' to stick right here. Jim told me yuh wanted to go, an' what I told him was a-plenty. Here yuh stay till yuh go back to the ranch."
"But I want to get up. I'm gettin' plumb weary o' stayin' in bed."
"It won't hurt yuh a bit. You'll have lots o' time to think over yore sins."
"You just try it! I'd shore admire to see yuh try it! You ain't goin' to play any fool tricks with that ankle if I have to get Jim an' a few o' the boys to hogtie yuh. Tell yuh what I will do. To-morrow, if you'll give me yore word not to leave the house till Mis' Burr or I say you can, I'll give yuh yore clothes an' you can sit in the kitchen."