, too, didn't he?"

"So, you _have_ heard?" he asked, in surprise. "Well, yes, he does look a
little like you; it's the hair, I think. But I don't see why you utter his
name with so much contempt, 'Tana."

"Maybe not; but I've heard the name of Haydon before to-day, and I have a
grudge against it."

"But not this Haydon."

"I don't know which Haydon. I never saw any of them--don't know as I
want to. I guess this one is almost too fine for Kootenai country people,
anyway."

"But that is where you are wrong, entirely wrong, 'Tana," he hastened to
explain. "He was very much interested in you--very much, indeed; asked
lots of questions about you, and--and here is what I wanted to speak of.
When he went away, he gave me this letter for you. I imagine he wants to
help make arrangements for you when you go East, have you know nice people
and all that. You see, 'Tana, his daughter is about your age, and looks
just a little as you do sometimes; and I think he wants to do something
for you. It's an odd thing for him to take so strong an interest in any
stranger; but they are the very best people you could possibly know if you
go to Philadelphia."

"Maybe if you would let me see the letter myself, I could tell better
whether I wanted to know them or not," she said, and Lyster handed it to
her without another word.

It was a rather long letter, two closely-written sheets, and he could not
understand the little contemptuous smile with which she opened it. Haydon,
the great financier, had seemed to him a very wonderful personage when he
was 'Tana's age.

The girl was not so indifferent as she tried to appear. Her fingers
trembled a little, though her mouth grew set and angry as she read the
carefully kind words of Mr. Haydon.

"It is rather late in the day for them to come with offers to help me,"
she said, bitterly. "I can help myself now; but if they had looked for me
a year ago--two or three years ago--"

"Looked for you!" he exclaimed, with a sort of impatient wonder. "Why,
my dear girl, who would even think of hunting for little white girls in
these forests? Don't be foolishly resentful now that people want to be
nice to you. You could not expect attention from people before they were
aware of your existence."

"But they did know of my existence!" she answered, curtly. "Oh! you
needn't stare at me like that, Mr. Max Lyster! I know what I'm talking
about. I have the very shaky honor of being a relation of your fine