e best to rent the place--to a competent man?"

"Under the circumstances I should think it would be obvious."

"If it is obvious why isn't your mind made up?"

"Look here," Mr. Braden snapped, "you aren't cross-examining me, Riley!"

The judge smiled blandly, but somehow the smile reminded Mr. Braden of
the engaging facial expression of a scarred old Airedale.

"Perhaps you'll explain the obvious, Braden."

"I don't know why I should explain anything to you. I don't recognize
your right to ask me any questions whatever."

"Pshaw!" said the judge. "Think a little, Braden."

Whatever Mr. Braden thought he saw fit to adopt a different tone.

"Just look at the situation from my standpoint," he said. "By their
father's untimely death these children are thrown on the world with no
ready money whatever. Their only source of income is the ranch, which
they are too young and inexperienced to make pay. The only sensible
thing to do is to put it into the hands of some competent man, so that
it will yield a steady income. Isn't that common sense?"

"As you state it--yes," the judge admitted.

"Ha, of course it is," said Mr. Braden triumphantly. "Then as to the
children themselves, I feel my responsibility. They must not be allowed
to grow up wild like--er--cayuses, as it were. They must have an
education to fit them for the Battle of Life, and as you know they can't
get that at a country school. The rental of the ranch, plus the proceeds
of a sale of some of the stock could not be better employed than in
sending them to some first-class institution. In these days education is
the right of every child. It is the key to Success, which, when
Opportunity knocks at the door--What the devil are you grinning at?"

"Go on."

"Well, that's all I was going to say," said Mr. Braden whose wings of
fancy had suddenly dragged before the old lawyer's cynical smile. "Rent
the place; get money; apply the money to educate the children. That's it
in a nutshell. Any court would approve such action of an executor."

"Possibly--on an _ex parte_ application. But meantime who pays the
mortgage?"

"Mortgage?" said Mr. Braden.

"The mortgage Adam Mackay made to you on the ranch to obtain money to
enable him to buy timber limits which were subsequently fire-swept.
That's subsisting, isn't it?"

"Certainly it is." There was a shade of defiance in Mr. Braden's tone.
"I hope I am not a harsh creditor. The interest might run along and all
the