for some reason, Patches appeared to be in an
unusually happy frame of mind, and went singing and whistling about the
corrals and buildings as though exceedingly well pleased with himself
and with the world.

The following day was Sunday. In the afternoon, Patches was roaming
about the premises, keeping at a safe distance from the walnut trees in
front of the house, where the professor had cornered the Dean, thus
punishing both Patches and his employer by preventing one of their long
Sunday talks which they both so much enjoyed. Phil had gone off
somewhere to be alone, and Mrs. Baldwin was reading aloud to Little
Billy. Honorable Patches was left very much to himself.

From the top of the little hill near the corrals, he looked across the
meadow at exactly the right moment to see someone riding away from the
neighboring ranch. He watched until he was certain that whoever it was
was not coming to the Cross-Triangle--at least, not by way of the meadow
lane. Then, smiling to himself, he went to the big barn and saddled a
horse--there are always two or three that are not turned out in the
pasture--and in a few minutes was riding leisurely away on the Simmons
road, along the western edge of the valley. An hour later he met Kitty
Reid, who was on her way from Simmons to the Cross-Triangle.

The young woman was sincerely glad to meet him.

"But you were going to Simmons, were you not?" she asked, as he reined
his horse about to ride with her.

"To be truthful, I was going to Simmons if I met anyone else, or if I
had not met you," he answered. Then, at her puzzled look, he explained,
"I saw someone leave your house, and guessed that it was you. I guessed,
too, that you would be coming this way."

"And you actually rode out to meet me?"

"Actually," he smiled.

They chatted about the rodeo, and the news of the countryside--for it
had been several weeks since they had met--and so reached the point of
the last ridge before you come to the ranch. Then Patches asked, "May we
ride over there on the ridge, and sit for a while in the shade of that
old cedar, for a little talk? It's early yet, and it's been ages since
we had a pow-wow."

Reaching the point which Patches had chosen, they left their horses and
made themselves comfortable on the brow of the hill, overlooking the
wide valley meadow and the ranches.

"And now," said Kitty, looking at him curiously, "what's the talk, Mr.
Honorable Patches?"

"Just you," said Pat