him the grove of cottonwoods marking the location of Moccasin Spring.

pect of house and stable and corral with cottonwood

as a rule do not go in for flowers and shrubs. And here, besides a smal

en door. A fresh young voice in the kitchen was singing

a-goin' do

d team an'

whip an' the

t busted the

the straw,

key

ked in at the kitchen door and saw, sitting on a corner of the kitchen table, a very pretty girl. On

imself for having neglected to shave, pu

g up a slim tanned hand and tucking in behin

re that he had never before seen eyes of such a

jo on the table and sliding down till her fe

his bosom, so that he could button unseen the top button of hi

's Father, I'm th

I want, Miss Dale-

n Mrs. Morgan

ister, Miss. Her whose hoss was take

was my

it was an old lady's h

d you bring him back?..

ok one glance at the bay horse tied to th

se," she reiterated with

nconvenience to this angel. If he could only crawl off somewhere and pass away quietly. At the moment, by his own valuation, any one buy

man-" she beg

e lain down right there on the floor and let her wipe those selfsame shoes upon him. It would have been a posit

at an honest confession would restrain h

u were," sh

umbled on, feeling it incumbent upon him to say so

other sister I have. Who

, indeed! Miss Blythe to the contrary notwithstanding this girl was not within sight of middl

her long eyelashes demurely drooping, "t

s!" Hugely

ng her eyes and tilting sidewise he

gulped hard. "I mean," he resumed, hastily, "I don't understand wh

ears ago. I was only a kid then-all legs li

nkly, with a bewilderi

" he said, truthfully. "They

son, please sit down, do. I know you must be tired after your long ride. Take that chair under the mirror. It's the strongest. You can tip it back against the wall if you like.

d Racey, rasping the back of hi

e coffee. I'll have you a potful in no time. I

bet yo

es better. You'll get s

He stare

e creek bank where I can gallop.... What? Why, of course you're going with me. Jane would never forgive me if I didn't bring you. And what would Chuck say if you came this far and then didn't go on dow

d indicated. "But a feller gets tired of one place after a while. I thought

e Bend?" she asked, poking up the

the Lazy River count

r yores truly, n

to Arizona go glimmering. His eye lingere

" she asked, her

"Want to hear a c

slid the banjo to rest on his thigh, swept the strings, and broke into "Inchin'

I heard singing in Farewell yesterday. He was in the Happy Heart when I was going by, and he sang Jog

and old songs is where I live. I cut my teeth on 'The Barley Mow' and grew up with 'Barbara Allen'. M

ry Cuckoo" and "The Bailiff's Daughter". The last she liked so well

ghed apologetically. Racey stopped singing and looked toward the doorway. Standing in the

laugh at his expense. As probably he was. Racey looked at him from beneath level brows. The lid of the stranger's right eye dropped ever so little. It was the merest of

ger smiled. It was marvellous how the magic of that smile augmented the attractive good looks of the stranger's full face. It was equally singular how that self-s

ive here?" inqui

e Boreal Pole was in the tw

gan to twinkle. He made as if to enter, but went no

he h

." Clear

stranger, the smile waning a

ch," sniffed Miss

tranger, undisturbed. "

ght

o-morrow. I

stranger. "Would it be

on what you ca

silently, and pulled on his hat. "And it's a good thing standards ain't all

ed upon and caressed the girl. She shook her shoulders

if he expected a reply. But he did not get it

y, his keenly twinkling black gaze travelled over the girl from her face to her feet an

sumed in a drawl. "I had some busines

r turned an

hed him mount his horse and ford

ale, and caught her lower lip between he

ut when he com

ck. I never want to see h

n Farewell. He was with Lanpher. When I was coming ou

g Lanpher here

on, his eyes following the dwindling figure

hus Miss Dale with

sedly essayed to fasten upon Mr. Dale. But, due to the interference of Chuck Morgan, a Bar S rider, who later married Jane Dale, Lanpher's attempt had been unavailing. It may be said in passing t

at day," Racey Da

ok at the time, will you? Get your

ustn't keep Jane waitin'. Lookit, Miss Dale, as I reme

oorway. "Why, no," she told him. "

whisker. Let's be movi

resting to tell you and

y, and Racey looked over her shoulder. What stopped them short in their tracks was a spectacle-the

Miss Dale in a horr

rful whoops and topped off with a long pull at a

aid Miss Dale

decided Racey's course for him. Mr. Dale pulled a gun and, still whooping cheerily, shook five

im," Racey said, apologetically, ov

Racey that the old fellow was as drunk as a fiddler, or certainly Racey would have been buried the next day. As it was,

n't want that gun, Nawsir. Not you. Le

into the waistband of his own trousers. The old man burst into frank tears. I

full o' fleas I'm hard

dly two lines of the

ching from verse to pro

ke

hout the slightest difficulty he leaped t

ck by a sudden thought. "What's thi

Luke Tweezy," he said. "Lots o' folks don't like Luke. They say he's me

's elbow, "please go, I can get him in

was on the verge of a discovery. "Somebody is a-trying to jump yor

and embarrassment engendered by her father's condition the tr

re a-tryin' to steal it from you. You lemme t

un away had been inspired by Racey surreptitiously and severely kicking it on the fetlock. This he had done that Miss Dale's th

le toward the house. "What's this about Luke T

Fluke's after buyin' me the bottle and asked me to stay there till he

gged down against Racey's suppor

ping he picked up the limp body in

lled to Miss Dale. "

she said, with a

ung cottonwood growing at the corner of the

fleeting instant as she threw open a door

ing parent on the blanket. Expertly he pulled off the m

ld swell so after you'd never get 'em off

to leave the room. She did not

d, standing in the midd

dn't shut that

ou're not wanted here?

but a crack. He

ad good reason for believing that somebody is trying to steal yore ranch. From several

shamed blood. She leaned against the table. One closed fist rested on the

at is McFluke

he got it!" she ex

't mind telling me wher

and store on the Marys

r fo

since my t

and a half. What makes you think so

't gonna do it if I can help it. Don't you fret. It w

w-what you know

unless you're coming

an't

. I'll tell him all about

is own horse. He swung into the s