in the least timid or scared. I felt just as calm and collected as I do
now. I felt this way about the matter: While I have long ago lost all
prudishness, yet I did not wish to stimulate their over-excited
imaginations of sensuous things."

Mrs. Wheelwright said: "Well, Stella, if you had not been well balanced,
I should have some doubt about it being best for you to go to your
aunt's. But I knew, dear, your tastes and inclinations were not on the
sense plane, and I thought the opportunity of living in another world
for a while would do you good, for it would be the means of giving you a
better knowledge of yourself than you could get in any other way."

Stella said: "Mother, the cow-boys and hired ranch hands have a hard
name. Now, I know this class of men well, and my experience with and
observation of them has taught me that any girl who behaves herself when
in their company will always be treated with respect. There is some
manhood about them in that way. But those fine city dudes have such a
polished, underhanded, deep, sly, foxy way of attaining their ends. Dr.
Lacy's girls told me that those fine, city young gentlemen loved nothing
better than to get acquainted with some pretty, young, green, innocent
girl and enjoy the fun of breaking her in. They are skilled in that
art."

CHAPTER XI.

SAUNDERS' CUSTOMERS.

One day, when business was very quiet in the store in Orangeville, the
following conversation took place: "Who is that young man of striking
appearance, talking to that old man in the road there?" said Hammond to
Saunders, the merchant.

"That young man," said Saunders, "why, his name is Penloe."

Hammond said: "Penloe, why that must be the fellow I have heard my wife
talk about. Has he any other name?"

"That is all," said Saunders. "He does not wish to be called anything
else but Penloe. All his mail comes addressed just 'Penloe, Orangeville,
California.' No. Mr., nor Esquire, nor Rev. nor Dr. nor Prof., nor
anything else. He and his mother are my best customers, in one way. Not
that they buy much, but they never ask my price for the purpose of
beating me down. Nor do they grumble about the quality of my goods. Why,
those two have bought more from this store to give away to those in poor
circumstances, than they have for themselves. And they keep very still
about what they do in giving. There is the Jones family, who have more
children than dollars; they live in that cabin under the hill,