color and beauty to the scene, their fragrance rising
continuously, like an invisible cloud of incense, on every hand.

At about eleven o'clock, Houston heard the noise of the approaching
team, and stepping to the window, saw a three-seated, open wagon,
drawn by a pair of powerful horses. On the back seat, with Mr.
Blaisdell, was an old gentleman, evidently Mr. Winters, and on the
second seat, facing them, were two whom Houston judged to be Mr.
Rivers and the junior Mr. Winters; but he took little notice of them,
for his attention was arrested by one of the two young men sitting on
the front seat, with the driver. The figure looked wonderfully
familiar, but the face was almost wholly concealed by a broad-brimmed,
soft hat. The team stopped, and at once the passengers prepared to
alight; the hat was suddenly pushed back, revealing to the astonished
Houston, the shining spectacles and laughing face of Arthur Van Dorn,
his college class mate and chum.

The men were alighting, and it was evident that Mr. Blaisdell was in a
most genial frame of mind, he fairly beamed on every one; but Houston,
not waiting to meet him, made a hasty retreat into the back room, to
decide quickly upon his course of action. Nearly a thousand plans
occurred to him, but none seemed feasible. If Mr. Blaisdell were the
only member of the firm present, he felt he would have little
difficulty, but the presence of Mr. Rivers made it considerably harder
for him.

Meanwhile, in the front room, Mr. Blaisdell was receiving his guests
in the most effusive manner, reminding Houston, even in his dilemma,
of a gushing school girl.

"Mr. Winters, let me assist you, you must be exceedingly weary; here,
take this chair, you will find it a little more comfortable; sorry not
to have more luxurious quarters in which to receive you, but this is
the wild west, you know. Mr. Rivers, won't you see that Mr. Winters is
comfortable, while I wait on his son. Mr. Lindlay, let me show you
these specimens of ore, I think you will appreciate them as few can."

In the midst of all this effusion, Mr. Rivers suddenly appeared in the
back room. He was a small man, quite bald, with small, twinkling,
peering eyes, and a quick motion of his head from one side to the
other that reminded Houston of a ferret. Seeing Houston, his eyes
twinkled until they nearly closed, he smiled, and extending his hand,
said:

"Ah, the new clerk, Mr. Houston, I suppose; very glad to meet you."

At