Glancing up he was surprised to see how tall
she looked,--quite as tall, he thought, as her mother had been when
she came a bride to the ranch. Well, she was almost sixteen,--the
other Elizabeth was only eighteen.

"You've done me a lot of good, Uncle Cliff," she was saying. "I think
my 'indigo fit,' as Alec calls the blues, has faded to a pale azure,
and I can go to Grandmother. She will be wondering where I am."

"Next time I see a fit coming on, I shall quote the Duchess!" he
warned her.

Blue Bonnet was delighted to find her grandmother awake and ready for
a "heart to heart" talk. Snuggled cosily on the bed at her feet the
penitent poured out all her discouragement of the morning, and
received the balm, which like the milk in the magic pitcher, bubbled
constantly in Grandmother's heart.

In Sarah's room the two students were diligently at work, Sarah in the
role of preceptress, hearing Amanda's French verbs, or helping to
discover the perplexing value of X in an algebraic equation. Only
occasionally did the thoughts of either wander.

"This is the second time," remarked Amanda, "that Blue Bonnet and
Kitty have had a tiff. The 'third time never fails,' you know."

"Do you really think that after the third falling-out they'd stay--"

"Out?--indeed I do think so," Amanda declared. "I've seen it come true
too many times to doubt it. There are always three fires--the last the
worst; three spells of illness, three shipwrecks, three--everything!"

"It sounds rather--superstitious to me," observed Sarah, doubtfully.
"I shouldn't like to believe it anyway, for it keeps you always
looking out for the third time, and that is _so_ uncomfortable."

"It's true as gospel," Amanda insisted.

From that time onward, in spite of her better judgment, Sarah lived in
perpetual dread of Blue Bonnet's third falling-out with Kitty; and her
attitude was continually that of the pacifier, pouring the oil of
tactful words on troubled waters, or averting the wrath of either by a
watchfulness that never relaxed. Just how much was due Sarah for the
cordial spirit that prevailed for a long time following this between
the two girls, neither realized; and Sarah asked no reward for her
pains, save peace.

CHAPTER IX

TEXAS AND MASSACHUSETTS

AT supper-time all the invalids were up; Kitty appearing rather
"interestingly pale," as Amanda remarked; Debby hobbling about in
padded bedroom slippers; and Grandmother Clyde looking some