rence."

A great desolation possessed her. No church! Worse than no minister! No
Sabbath! What kind of a land was this to which she had come?

The boy beside her smelled of tobacco smoke. He had been off somewhere
smoking while she was in the dreary little Sunday-school. She looked at
his careless boy-face furtively as they walked along. He smoked, of
course, like most boys of his age, probably, and he did a lot of other
things he ought not to do. He had no interest in God or righteousness,
and he did not take it for granted that the Sabbath was different from
any other day. A sudden heart-sinking came upon her. What was the use of
trying to do anything for such as he? Why not give it up now and go back
where there was more promising material to work upon and where she would
be welcome indeed? Of course, she had known things would be
discouraging, but somehow it had seemed different from a distance. It
all looked utterly hopeless now, and herself crazy to have thought she
could do any good in a place like this.

And yet the place needed somebody! That pitiful little Sunday-school!
How forlorn it all was! She was almost sorry she had gone. It gave her
an unhappy feeling for the morrow, which was to be her first day of
school.

Then, all suddenly, just as they were nearing the Tanner house, there
came one riding down the street with all the glory of the radiant
morning in his face, and a light in his eyes at seeing her that lifted
away her desolation, for here at last was a friend!

She wondered at herself. An unknown stranger, and a self-confessed
failure so far in his young life, and yet he seemed so good a sight to
her amid these uncongenial surroundings!

CHAPTER XI

This stranger of royal bearing, riding a rough Western pony as if it
were decked with golden trappings, with his bright hair gleaming like
Roman gold in the sun, and his blue-gray eyes looking into hers with the
gladness of his youth; this one who had come to her out of the
night-shadows of the wilderness and led her into safety! Yes, she was
glad to see him.

He dismounted and greeted her, his wide hat in his hand, his eyes upon
her face, and Bud stepped back, watching them in pleased surprise. This
was the man who had shot all the lights out the night of the big riot in
the saloon. He had also risked his life in a number of foolish ways at
recent festal carouses. Bud would not have been a boy had he not admired
the young man beyond mea