bjection, but she was afraid that
the affair would be a disappointment to him. She did not think the boys
from the ranges, and Sue Latrop and her girl friends, would mix well.

But the Captain went ahead with his preparations with his usual energy.
He had Mrs. Edwards as chief adviser. But Frances overlooked the plans
in the household in her usually capable way.

The big drawing-room was thoroughly cleaned and the floor waxed. The
scratches made by Ratty M'Gill's spurs were eliminated. When the potted
plants came--a four-mule wagon-load--Frances arranged them about the
dancing floor and dining-room.

She found her father practising his steps in the hall one morning before
breakfast. "Goodness, Daddy," she cried. "Do be careful of your weak
leg."

"Don't you worry about me," he chuckled. "I'm going to give old Mr.
Rheumatism a black eye this time. I'm going to 'shake a leg' at this
dance if it's the last act of my life."

"Don't be too reckless," she told him, with a worried little frown on
her brow. "I want you to be able to ride to Jackleg to see the pageant.
And that comes the very day but one after our dance."

"I'll be all right," he assured her. "I have a dance promised from Mrs.
Edwards and each of the girls but that Boston one, right now. And I
wouldn't miss your show in Jackleg, Frances, for a penny!

"I only wish Lon were here to enjoy it. I got a letter from that
minister saying that Lon and he will reach here next week. If they'd
come early in the week they'd get here in time for the pageant, anyway."

With so much bustle and preparation about the Bar-T ranch-house, there
was not much likelihood of anybody being reckless enough to attempt
stealing the old Spanish chest, or its contents.

These days the Captain kept the room in which the chest of treasure lay
double-locked, and at night slept in the room himself. From sunset to
sunrise a relay of cowboys rode around the huge house and compound, and
although Pete Marin, as Ratty M'Gill's friend from Mississippi was
called, was still at large, there was no fear that he, or anybody else,
would get into the _hacienda_ at night.

Frances, with all her duties, had less time to devote to Pratt's
entertainment now. In truth, as soon as he was able to get downstairs by
himself he complained that he lost his nurse.

When the crowd came over from the Edwards ranch, and sat around on the
porch, Frances was not always with them. One afternoon--the very day
bef