rifty little thing. She pays her own board bill with her
relatives, chooses and pays for her own clothes, and puts the balance of
the money in bank for herself and her father."

"Does Tim ever go to see her?"

"Once in two years, regularly. He'd go east oftener, but it costs too
much money. He'd live near her, but he says he can earn more money down
here on the desert. Tim even talks about a college education for that
idolized girl. She looks out just as sharply for her daddy. Whenever Tim
is ready to make a trip east, she sends him the money for his fare. The
two have a great old time together."

"Tim may marry again one of these days, and then the young lady may not
have as happy a time," remarked Tom thoughtfully.

"I hinted as much to Griggs," replied Dr. Furniss, "but he told me,
pretty strongly, that there'll be no new wife for him until he has
helped the daughter to find her own place in life."

"Say!" muttered Tom, with a queer little choke in his voice. "The heroes
in life generally aren't found on the high spots, are they?"

"They're not," retorted the doctor solemnly.

Half an hour later, after having eaten their fill of ice cream, Dr.
Furniss and Engineer Reade parted, Tom strolling on alone in the
darkness.

"I can It get that fellow Griggs out of my mind," muttered Tom. "To
think that a splendid fellow like him is working as a laborer! I wonder
if he isn't fitted for something better--something that pays better?
Look out, Tom Reade, you old softy, or you'll be doing something
foolish, all on account of a primary school girl in New England whom
you've never seen, and never will! I wonder--hello!"

As Tom had walked along his head had sunk lower and lower in thought.
His sudden exclamation had been brought forth by the fact that he had
bumped violently into another human being.

"Cantch er look out where you're going?" demanded an ugly voice.

"I should have been looking out, my friend," Tom replied amiably. "It
was very careless of me. I trust, that I haven't done you serious harm."

"Quit yer sass!" ordered the other, who was a tall, broad-shouldered and
very surly looking fellow of thirty.

"I don't much blame you for being peevish," Reade went on. "Still, I
think there has been no serious harm done. Good night, friend."

"No, ye don't!" snarled the other. "Nothing of the slip-away-easy style,
like that!"

"Why, what do you want?" I asked Tom, opening his eyes in genuine
surprise.

"Ye