her boy and his heavenly abiding place.

The next afternoon Mrs. Tarbell was sitting on her front porch
endeavoring to readjust the bows upon the old straw bonnet. She had
taken them off, and sponged both ribbon and straw, and she was now
trying her best to make the bows hold up their heads with the spirit and
grace which distinguish a milliner's trimming. She looked up from time
to time to enjoy the reflection of the trees in the lake surrounding the
house. For her grass was being flooded to-day, and that was always a
pretty sight. "It looks almost as pretty as Watkins' pond out on the
Goodham turnpike," she reflected, as the water glistened in a broad
expanse. She owned a good piece of land, a hundred feet front. Willie
had meant to have a vegetable garden when he had got strong enough to
work in it.

A horseman had turned into the street, and came cantering toward the
house. But horsemen were part of the landscape in Colorado, and she
scarcely noticed his approach till a joyful bark caused her to look up,
just in time to see David take a flying leap over the gate and come
dashing up to her.

"Why, David!" she cried; and then she stopped, abashed, for the horseman
was already tying his pony to the post.

"Mrs. Tarbell?" he questioned, as he opened the gate; and without
waiting for an answer, he went on: "I've come to thank you for getting
my dog away from those scoundrels at the City Hall. They had the decency
to tell me where to look for you."

"Oh, pray don't mention it!" said little Mrs. Nancy, with old-fashioned
courtesy.

"Not mention it!" cried her visitor. "It was the kindest thing I ever
heard of. I don't see what made you do it."

"Oh, I couldn't help it. David looked so miserable being dragged along
at the end of a pole."

"The cowards!" he cried. "Don't get a chair, ma'am. I like the steps
better. Did you call him David?" he asked, with a twinkle of amusement
in his kind gray eyes, as he seated himself on the low step, with his
long legs trailing off over the walk.

"Well, yes. I didn't know what else to call him, and as he'd been
delivered out of the hands of the Philistines----"

"That's a good one!" cried the ranchman. "Come here, David. You've got a
name now as well as a locket. Do you hear that?"

David had established himself between his master and his rescuer, and
looked from one to the other with evident satisfaction. They were soon
engaged in an amicable conversation, quite unconscio