ren. I only thought they'd want to see you. I think they'd
come over if they knew it--well, of course, Angie couldn't, having a
young baby so, but Laura she'd come in a minute."

"Well, I don't believe I want to see them," persisted Mrs. Moxom. "It'll
only make it harder. I guess you needn't let them know I'm goin'. Ethel
and I'll start as soon as she can get ready. Seems like Rob's having a
pretty hard time. He couldn't come after Ethel now if he wanted to. It
wouldn't be right for him to leave that--that--old gentleman."

"Well, I wouldn't want the girls to have any hard feelings towards me."

"The Moxom girls ain't a-going to have any hard feelings towards _you_,
Emma," asserted the old woman, with emphasis.

"She has the queerest way of talking about your sisters, Jason," Mrs.
Weaver confided to her husband later. "It makes me think, sometimes,
she's failing pretty fast."

V

As the road to the foot of the trail grew steeper, Rob Kendall found an
increasing difficulty in guiding his team with one hand. His bride drew
herself from his encircling arm reluctantly.

"You'd better look after the horses," she said, with a vivid blush.
"What'll grandmother think of us?"

The young fellow removed the offending arm and reached back to pat the
old lady's knee.

"I ain't afraid of grandmother," he said joyously. "Grandmother's a
brick. If she stays out here long, she'll soon be the youngest woman on
the mesa. I shouldn't wonder if she'd pick up some nice old gentleman
herself--how's that, grandmother?" He bent down and kissed his wife's
ear. "Catch me going back on grandmothers after this!"

"You haven't changed a bit, Rob," said Ethel fondly; "has he,
grandmother?" She turned her radiant smile upon the withered face behind
her.

The old woman did not answer. The newly wedded couple resumed their
rapturous contemplation of each other.

"How's that funny old man, Rob?" asked Ethel, smoothing out her dimples.

"Old Mosey? He's pretty rocky. I'm afraid he won't pull through." Rob
strove to adjust his voice to the subject. "I'd 'a' got a house down in
town, but I didn't like to leave him. We'll have to go pretty soon,
though. I'm afraid you'll be lonesome up here."

The old woman on the back seat leaned forward a little. The young couple
smiled exultantly into each other's eyes, with superb scorn of the
world.

"Lonesome!" sneered the girl.

Her husband drew her close to him with an ecstatic hug.

"Yes, lon