to
smile at the picture, as she stood there in the bright Arizona day, so
animated and wholesomely alive in the grace and charm of her beautiful
young womanhood, above the little group of men who were looking up at
her with laughing admiration.

On the other side of the street, where she sat with her parents and
Professor Parkhill, talking to Phil, Kitty heard the call, and looked. A
moment later she was across the street, and the two young women were
greeting each other with old-time schoolgirl enthusiasm. Introductions
and explanations followed, with frequent feminine exclamations of
surprise and delight. Then the men drew a little away, talking,
laughing, as men will on such occasions, leaving the two women to
themselves.

In that eastern school, which, for those three years, had been Kitty's
home, Helen Wakefield and the girl from Arizona had been close and
intimate friends. Indeed, Helen, with her strong womanly character and
that rare gift of helpful sympathy and understanding, had been to the
girl fresh from the cattle ranges more than a friend; she had been
counsellor and companion, and, in many ways, a wise guardian and
teacher.

"But why in the world didn't you write me about it?" demanded Kitty a
little later. "Why didn't you tell me that you had become Mrs. Stanford
Manning, and that you were coming to Prescott?"

Helen laughed and blushed happily. "Why, you see, Kitty, it all happened
so quickly that there was no time to write. You remember when I wrote
you about Stan, I told you how poor he was, and how we didn't expect to
be married for several years?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, you see, Stan's company, all unexpectedly to him, called
him to New York and gave him this position out here. He had to start at
once, and wired me from New York. Just think, I had only a week for the
wedding and everything! I knew, of course, that I could find you after I
got here."

"And now that you are here," said Kitty decisively, "you and Mr. Manning
are coming right out to Williamson Valley to spend your honeymoon on the
ranch."

But Helen shook her head. "Stan has it all planned, Kitty, and he won't
listen to anything else. There is a place around here somewhere that he
calls Granite Basin, and he has it all arranged that we are to camp out
there for three weeks. His company has given him that much time, and we
are going just as soon as this celebration is over. After that, while
Stan gets started with his work, and