so--Cunningham. Well, it might have been McLeod. I--I rather
think it did sound like that."

"McLean. Miss Esther McLean," corrected the cattleman patiently.

"The fact is I'm not sure about the young lady's name. Mother and
Ellen would know. I'm sorry they're not here. They talked afterward
about how pleasant the young lady was."

"Was she fair or dark?"

The old preacher smiled at Rose benevolently. "I really don't know.
I'm afraid, my dear young woman, that I'm a very unreliable witness."

"You don't recollect any details. For instance, how did they come and
did they bring witnesses with them?"

"Yes. I was working in the garden--weeding the strawberry-patch, I
think. They came in an automobile alone. Wife and daughter were the
witnesses."

"Do you know when Mrs. Rankin and your daughter will be home?"

"By next Tuesday, at the latest. Perhaps you can call again. I trust
there was nothing irregular about the marriage."

"Not so far as we know. We were anxious about the young lady. She is
a friend of ours," Kirby said. "By the way, the certificate of the
marriage is not on record at the court-house. Are you sure you
returned it to the clerk?"

"Bless my soul, did I forget that again?" exclaimed the Reverend
Nicodemus. "I'll have my daughter look for the paper as soon as she
returns."

"You couldn't find it now, I suppose," Lane suggested.

The old gentleman searched rather helplessly among the papers
overflowing his desk. He did not succeed in finding what he looked for.

Kirby and Rose walked back to the court-house. They had omitted to
arrange with the license clerk to forward a copy of the marriage
certificate when it was filed.

The rough rider left the required fee with the clerk and a bank note to
keep his memory jogged up.

"Soon as Mrs. Rankin comes home, will you call her up and remind her
about lookin' for the certificate?" he asked.

"Sure I will. I've got to have it, anyhow, for the records. And say,
what's the name of that fresh guy who came in here and cut the page
from the register? I'm going after him right, believe you me."

Kirby gave his cousin's name and address. He had no animosity whatever
toward him, but he thought it just as well to keep Jack's mind occupied
with troubles of his own during the next few days. Very likely then he
would not get in his way so much.

They were no sooner clear of the court-house than Rose burst out with
what was in her