and Lahoma
discussed with them their plans and hopes with bright cheerfulness and
ready friendship.

Wilfred watched Red Kimball as he glared in that direction, and guessed
his thoughts. Although Kimball knew Lahoma, he was not sure that she
knew him; and though he was convinced at once that she was on a mission
of warning, that might be true without her knowing that he had left
Kansas City. Red Kimball was burning to find out if he were a stranger
to her, but at the same time fearful of disclosing himself. He
muttered to his companions hoarsely, careful that Wilfred, whom he
regarded askance, should overhear nothing that he said.

The situation was such as could not very well continue during the days
it would take the coach to reach Mangum but although Wilfred was
conscious of the strain, he felt excitedly happy. Very little of his
attention was given to Kimball, and a great deal to Lahoma. She was
talking to the sisters about the baby of the one and the chickens of
the other, offering advice on both subjects from the experience of a
certain Mrs. Featherby whom she had known as a child.

"Mrs. Featherby was a very wonderful woman," Lahoma announced with
conviction, "and the first woman I ever knew. And when her baby was
teething..." The very large lady listened with great attention.

"She told me this when I was a small girl," Wilfred presently heard
Lahoma saying. "And I treasured it in my mind. I stored myself with
her experience about everything there is. It came to me, then, that if
she moved away from Headquarters Mountain--that's my mountain--maybe no
other woman would ever come there to live; so I stored myself, because
I was determined to learn the business of being a woman."

The large woman gazed upon her admiringly. "I guess you learned, all
right."

They had not gone five miles before the large woman and her younger
sister were in love with Lahoma--but it hadn't taken Wilfred five
miles. As he listened to her bright suggestions, and noted her living
eyes, her impulsive gestures--for she could not talk without making
little movements with her hands--and her flexible sympathetic voice, he
saw her moving about a well-ordered household.... It was on his farm,
of course; and the house was his,--and she was his Lahoma....

Red Kimball watched her with the same sidewise attention, but his face
was brooding, his half-veiled eyes were red and threatening. What would
happen in the nighttime as the