rtuous."

"Don't do the man an injustice, even if you doubt poor little Bobbie. He
acted from charitable motives. He has never seen her, or tried to see
her."

"Look at me, Pen!"

"I'm looking. You have the true Western eye--the eye of a sharpshooter and
a--sheriff."

"The story you just told me is the story of Marta Sills. Is that _her_
name or yours?"

"It belongs to us both. Being 'particular pals,' we shared alike.
Interchange of names often comes handy with us."

"Was it you or Bobbie Burr--the girl who just came--whom Jo met in a dance
hall, and took to St.--some place on Lake Michigan?"

"Dear me! You cattlemen are such gay birds when you come to a city! How
can I tell how many girls Jo Gary took to a dance hall? If that St.
Something was St. Joe, he must have gone there to get married. It's what
most people go there for, and probably he's no more saintly than the place
is. Maybe it was named after him."

"Tell me! Was it Bobbie Burr?"

"She never mentioned Jo Gary's name to me, so how do I know. Yes, Francis;
coming."

She ran fleetly on to join the boy who was impatiently calling to her.

"Marta! How the plot does thicken!" she thought as she ran a race with
Francis to the house. "Now we're all here but Hebby. What next? Curtain
soon, I expect. No need longer for understudies. I must start things
before Kurt succumbs to her charms. That little subdued, clinging-vine air
she has is most appealing to his type. He'll come to forgive _her_
anything."

"Marta," she said quickly, as she met the young girl, "come upstairs with
me."

She locked the door as soon as they were in her room.

"Now tell me all about yourself and everything that has happened since I
last saw you."

Beaming with the excitement that comes from narrative of self, the
newcomer talked animatedly for some time.

"And," she concluded, "Mrs. Kingdon said you told her all about me, and
she sent me a ticket to come here. And it's lovely up here, isn't it? She
told me I'd better keep to the name of Bobbie Burr for the present, until
she came anyway."

"I should say!" agreed Pen. "Marta Sills might land you in most unpleasant
places. But, Marta, that man you told me about, whose name you didn't
mention?"

"Yes, Miss Lamont. I try not to think of him."

"Marta, why did you tell him that you stole. You could have married him.
He'd never have known. And you and he could both have been happy."

In the girl's wondering eyes, Pen re