make its claims upon unmarried
young women of respectability. She had with her for the present
fourteen-year-old Ida Henderson, but this arrangement was merely
temporary.

Wherefore on the morning after her arrival Helen had sent two letters
back to "the States." One of these had been to Mrs. Winslow, a widow of
fifty-five, inviting her to come out on a business basis as housekeeper
of the Lazy D. The buxom widow had loved Helen since she had been a
toddling baby, and her reply was immediate and enthusiastic. Eight
days later she had reported in person. The second letter bore the
affectionate address of Nora Darling, Detroit, Michigan. This also in
time bore fruit at the ranch in a manner worthy of special mention.

It was the fourth day after Ned Bannister had been carried back to the
Lazy D that Helen Messiter came out to the porch of the house with a
letter in her hand. She found her foreman sitting on the steps waiting
for her, but he got up as soon as he heard the fall of her light
footsteps behind him.

"You sent for me, ma'am?" he asked, hat in hand.

"Yes; I want you to drive into Gimlet Butte and bring back a person whom
you'll find at the Elk House waiting for you. I had rather you would go
yourself, because I know you're reliable."

"Thank you, ma'am. How will I know him?"

"It's a woman--a spinster. She's coming to help Mrs. Winslow. Inquire
for Miss Darling. She isn't used to jolting two days in a rig, but I
know you will be careful of her."

"I'll surely be as careful of the old lady as if she was my own mother."

The mistress of the ranch smothered a desire to laugh.

"I'm sure you will. At her age she may need a good deal of care. Be
certain you take rug enough."

"I'll take care of her the best I know how. Expect she's likely
rheumatic, but I'll wrop her up till she looks like a Cheyenne squaw
when tourist is trying to get a free shoot at her with camera."

"Please do. I want her to get a good impression of Wyoming so that she
will stay. I don' know about the rheumatism, but you might ask her."

There were pinpoints of merriment behind the guileless innocence of her
eyes, but they came to the surface only after the foreman had departed.

McWilliams ordered a team of young horse hitched, and presently set out
on his two day; journey to Gimlet Butte. He reached that town in good
season, left the team at a corral and walked back to the Elk House.
The white dust of the plains was heavy on him