she raised one arm till her elbow rested upon them. Then she supported her
head upon her hand.

"But I think it's right to go; Ma and Rube are getting old. They want
rest. Rube's got a goodish bit of capital, too," she went on, with an
almost childish assumption of business knowledge. "And so have you. Now
how much will buy a nice ranch?"

The girl had faced round and was gazing up into Seth's face with all the
bland innocence of childhood in her wide open eyes. The gravity she beheld
there was profound.

"Wal, I'd say around twenty thousand dollars. Y' see, stockin' it's heavy.
But Rube wouldn't think o' that much. Mebbe he'd buy a goodish place an'
raise the stock himself. I 'lows it's a money-makin' game--is stock. It's
a good business."

Seth had gained some enthusiasm while he spoke, and the girl was quick to
notice the change.

"I believe you're beginning to fancy the notion," she said, with a bright
flash of her eyes.

"Mebbe."

Seth's reply was half shamefaced. Rosebud removed her arm from his knees
and turned away, idly drawing vague outlines upon the dusty ground with
her forefinger. She was smiling too. It was partly a mischievous smile,
and yet there was something very nervous about it. She was thinking,
thinking, and found it very hard to say what she wanted to.

"I wonder if you'd help me to do something I want to do very much?" she
asked at last. "Something very, very particular?"

"Why, sure," was the ready answer. "That's how it's allus bin."

"Yes, I know. It's always been like that. But this is something much
harder." Rosebud smiled a little wistfully into the strong face above
her.

"You ken gamble on me."

"Of course I can. I know that."

Another silence fell. The girl continued to draw outrageous parallelograms
in the dust. Seth smoked on, waiting for her. The last rays of the setting
sun were shining athwart the golden head which his dark eyes were
contemplating.

"You see, I want to buy Pa and Ma the finest ranch in Montana," she said
at last. "You see, I've got lots of money," she went on, laughing
nervously. "At least I shall have. I'm rather selfish, too, because I'm
going to live with them, always, you know. And I'd like to live on a
ranch. Pa could own it, and you could be foreman and partner. And--and I
could be partner too. Quite a business arrangement. Pa and you would work.
That's your share of the capital. I should only find the money, and do
nothing. You see? I tal