, Helen?"

"This?" returned the visitor, looking down at the rather ugly print. "It's
a gingham. Bought it ready-made in Elberon. Do you like it?"

"I love it!" giggled Flossie. "And it's made in quite a new style, too."

"Do you think so? Why, I reckoned it was old," said Helen, smoothly. "But
I'm glad to hear it's so fitten to wear. For, you see, I ain't got many
clo'es."

"Don't you have dressmakers out there in Montana?" asked Hortense, eyeing
the print garment as though it was something entirely foreign.

"I reckon. But we folks on the range don't get much chance at 'em.
Dressmakers is as scurce around Sunset Ranch as killyloo birds. Unless ye
mought call Injun squaws dressmakers."

"What are killyloo birds?" demanded Flossie, hearing something new.

"Well now! don't you have them here?" asked Helen, smiling broadly.

"Never heard of them. And I've been to Bronx Park and seen all the birds
in the flying cage," said Flossie. "Our Nature teacher takes us out there
frequently. It's a dreadful bore."

"Well, I didn't know but you might have 'em East here," observed Helen,
pushing along the time-worn cowboy joke. "I said they was scurce around
the ranch; and they be. I never saw one."

"Really!" ejaculated Hortense. "What are killyloo birds good for?"

"Why, near as I ever heard," replied Helen, chuckling, "they are mostly
used for making folks ask questions."

"I declare!" snapped Belle. "She is laughing at you, girls. You're very
dense, I'm sure, Hortense."

"Say! that's a good one!" laughed Flossie. But Hortense muttered:

"Vulgar little thing!"

Helen smiled tranquilly upon them. Nothing they said to her could shake
her calm. And once in a while--as in the case above--she "got back" at
them. She kept consistently to her rude way of speaking; but she used the
tableware with little awkwardness, and Belle said to Hortense:

"At least somebody's tried to teach her a few things. She is no
sword-swallower."

"I suppose Aunt Mary had some refinement," returned Hortense, languidly.

Helen's ears were preternaturally sharp. She heard everything. But she had
such good command of her features that she showed no emotion at these side
remarks.

After luncheon the three sisters separated for their usual afternoon
amusements. Neither of them gave a thought to Helen's loneliness. They did
not ask her what she was going to do, or suggest anything to her save
that, an hour later, when Belle saw her cousin prepar