e craft drifted away
from the tents and the man who washed the soil by the spring run. "What
did you do with the women folks?"

"Gave them to Overton. They concluded not to risk their precious selves
with me, when they discovered that he, for a wonder, was disengaged.
Really and truly, that angular schoolmistress will make herself Mrs.
Overton if he is not careful. She flatters him enough to spoil an average
man; looks at him with so much respectful awe, you know, though she never
does say much to him."

"Saves her breath to drill Mrs. Huzzard with," observed the girl, dryly.
"That poor, dear woman has a bee in her muddled old head, and the bee is
Captain Leek and his fine manners. I can see it, plain as day. Bless her
heart! I hear her go over and over words that she always used to say
wrong, and she does eat nicer than she used to. Humph! I wonder if Dan
Overton will take as kindly to being taught, when the school-teacher
begins with him."

There was a mirthless, unlovely smile about her lips, and Lyster reached
over and clasped her hand coaxingly.

"'Tana, what has changed you so?" he asked. "Is it your sickness--is it
the gold--or what, that makes you turn from your old friends? Dan never
says a word, but I notice it. You never talk to him, and he has almost
quit going to your cabin at all, though he would do anything for you, I
know. My dear, you will find few friends like him in the world."

"Oh, don't--don't bother me about him," she answered, irritably. "He is
all right, of course. But I--"

Then she stopped, and with a determined air turned the subject.

"You said you had something to talk to me about. What was it?"

"You don't know how glad I am to hear you speak as you used to," he said,
looking at her kindly. "I would be rejoiced even to get a scolding from
you these days. But that was not exactly what I brought you out to tell
you, either," and he drew from his pocket the letter he had carried for
three weeks, waiting until she appeared strong enough to accept surprises.
"I suppose, of course, you have heard us talk a good deal about the
Eastern capitalist who was here when you were so sick, and who,
unhesitatingly, made purchase of the Twin Spring Mines, as it is called
now."

"You mean the very fine Mr. Haydon, who had curly hair and looked like
me?" she asked, ironically. "Yes, I've heard the women folks talking about
him a good deal, when they thought me asleep. Old Akkomi scared him a
little