longer than I aimed to be," Skinny continued, rapidly
gaining confidence as he saw the confusion of the women; "after I got
the chores done I concluded to fix up a little. This is the first time I
ever wore this shirt," he went on, feeling that a bit of explanation was
entirely proper and would probably help in restoring the composure of
Carolyn June and the widow. "Parker just brought it out yesterday and it
was a good deal of trouble to make the collar work right. It seemed like
it was pretty stiff or something. Generally speaking the whole outfit's
bigger than it really ought to be, but maybe it'll shrink up some when
it's washed," he finished in a casual matter-of-fact way.

"It--it--is wonderful!" Carolyn June stammered, "it is--I don't think I
ever saw one that was--was--whiter--"

"It looked that way to me," Skinny interrupted as if glad some one else
had noticed a peculiarity of the garment that already had troubled him
somewhat, "I thought it was uncommonly white!"

"Perhaps it just seems that way because we are not used to it," Ophelia
suggested sympathetically.

"That's it!" Carolyn June exclaimed feverishly, "it is because we are
not used to it--it will be perfectly all right when we have looked at it
a little more!"

Skinny decided he would risk the gauntlet of comment from Parker, Old
Heck and the cowboys and wear the shirt the rest of the day.

Carolyn June was really sorry for Skinny, but--she needed air--she felt
she must have it.

"Please," she cried suddenly and with, an effort, "excuse me! I--I--have
something I wish to do! You," speaking to Skinny, "and Ophelia stay here
and visit each other a while!"

Without waiting for an answer she stepped quickly into the kitchen,
asked Sing Pete for a handful of sugar and hurried out to the circular
corral.

"Oh, Skinny, Skinny, you are so funny," she laughed aloud as she went
through the back-yard gate. "It breaks my heart to break your heart--but
you are one of the 'fixers' and you've got to be 'fixed.'"

The Gold Dust maverick at first was shy when Carolyn June opened the
gate and entered the corral. After a few moments she recognized the girl
and was soon eating the sugar from the hand of Carolyn June. Before the
supply was exhausted the friendship and confidence of the two, begun
yesterday, was firmly reestablished. The maverick allowed Carolyn June
to swing her weight from the glossy withers, to clasp her arms tightly
about the trim, clean-b