Michael leaves, then decides to return for Angel

Michael’s departure from Pair-a-Dice becomes a turning point: anger first drives him away from Angel, but prayer and memory lead him back. His return is not a sudden confidence in their future; it is a choice to act on what he understands as God’s instruction, even while fearing that Angel cannot or will not love him.

Departure and Resistance

After losing his temper, Michael leaves the room, crosses the casino, and walks out into the night. He tries to cool down, then voices his frustration to God. He wants a wife who will share farm work and family life, and cannot understand why he has been told to marry a woman he regards as a harlot. When he believes God is directing him back to Angel, he argues against the command and doubts that she can offer anything beyond a brief encounter.

The conflict follows him onto the road outside town. Even after receiving the instruction to go back, Michael clings to his anger and heads toward the livery stable, saying he is tired of Pair-a-Dice. His departure therefore marks more than a change of place: he is resisting both Angel and the religious conviction that has brought him to her.

Decision to Return

The decision comes later, after days of distress. Michael admits that returning would seem foolish, yet recognizes that he will find no peace while refusing what he believes God wants. He agrees to go back, sleeps deeply for the first time in days, and leaves the next morning with his wagon and team. On reaching Pair-a-Dice late that afternoon, he looks toward Angel’s room, uncertain whether she is there or working.

His return is shaped by the biblical story of Hosea and the prostitute, which he has invoked in trying to explain his calling. When Angel responds to that story with sarcasm and rejects the lesson he is trying to convey, Michael tells her that she will eventually have to choose. The exchange shows the gap between his belief in a possible shared life and her defensiveness toward the promise implicit in it.

Meaning and Consequences

Michael’s return does not resolve that gap at once. At another point, he understands that Angel is not ready to hear an explanation and holds his silence, asking instead for guidance. His persistence is thus repeatedly checked by her readiness and by the limits of what he can make her understand.

The choice to return also anticipates a later crisis in their marriage. After Angel’s betrayal, Michael initially condemns her and nearly decides to leave her to the consequences. In recalling her earlier suffering and recognizing how deeply she has been hurt, however, he decides that he must go to Pair-a-Dice and bring his wife back. The episode establishes a recurring pattern in his story: anger and withdrawal give way, not to certainty, but to renewed commitment.