ike, neighbor," says my boss; and he fills his
own pipe and passes the fine-cut.

Sometimes I think, after all, folks is a good deal alike inside, and
what makes good in one place will in another. We used these people like
we was all out on the Yellow Bull; and here was Old Man Kimberly feeling
better than he had in two years and all of 'em glad to come back to our
place. Which all happened right soon--and because of them two girls.

"Well," says Katherine's pa after a while, "if I had to choose I believe
I'd rather be a ranchman out West than anything in the world. Tell
me--what made you sell out and come East to live? Why couldn't you be
content where you was at?"

"Well," says my boss, kind of smiling crooked out of the end of his
mouth, "we come East to get some of the Better Things."

They looked then, both of 'em, over at the two young girls on the sofa.
They was so busy talking they didn't know anybody was looking at 'em.
When we was all quiet they both spoke out right at the same time. "I got
mine at Madeleine's," Katherine was saying; and Bonnie Bell says: "We
fry ours in butter." The Lord only knows what they'd been talking about;
but it didn't make no difference.

Well, anyways, we all had quite a fine time, setting there in our ranch
room, with the smoky mantelpiece and the old tables and chairs, and the
sofa covered with a hide, where the two girls was setting.

By and by they all got up and said they had to go home. Old Man Kimberly
he held out his hand to my boss, and they shook hands quite a while
together, not saying very much.

"Will you come over some evening?" he ast Old Man Wright.

And he says:

"Shore!"

About then Katherine's ma was kissing Bonnie Bell some more--she seemed
never to get tired of kissing Bonnie Bell. Then them two girls they
walks off to the front door, their arms around each other. I seen 'em
standing there under the light. By and by Katherine picks up Bonnie
Bell's hand and looks it over, and there wasn't no rings on it.

"Are you engaged yet, Bonnie?" she ast.

Bonnie Bell kind of blushed at that.

"No," says she. "Are you?"

"No. Mommah says I'm too young," says she; "but then----"

"Yes," says Bonnie Bell; "but then----"

Old Man Wright he turns to me after they'd all went away.

"Well, Curly," says he, thoughtful, "I reckon we're coming on."

"Yes," says I; "but then----"

XIII

THEM AND THE RANGE LAW

When they all went home us three set q