to their normal condition, but
on trying to turn his head, he found it held as firmly as in a vise,
by the hands which had been quickly removed from his eyes, while a
mischievous voice announced imperiously:

"Guess who it is, and you are free!"

"Guess!" exclaimed the old gentleman in some perplexity, "why, if I
were at home, I would know this was one of my little girl's tricks,
but I cannot imagine who it is here."

There was a musical, rippling laugh, as the hands were withdrawn,
and Mr. Winters, turning quickly, came near losing his pipe in
astonishment.

"Bless my soul, Leslie! what does this mean? Well, well! so it was my
little girl after all, up to her old tricks; but, child, how came you
out here, in such a place as this?"

At that moment, Houston or Rutherford would scarcely have recognized
Miss Gladden, could they have seen her seated beside Mr. Winters with
all the careless abandon of a child, laughing merrily in answer to his
numerous questions, while he playfully pinched her cheek, or pulled
her ear. To Mr. Winters, however, she seemed like one of his own
children, for Leslie Gladden was an orphan, and Mr. and Mrs. Winters,
having been deeply attached to her parents, and having no daughter of
their own, had always regarded her as a daughter, and much of her life
had been passed in their home.

"Well, puss," said Mr. Winters, having answered her inquiries
regarding his family, "seems to me it's about time you gave an account
of yourself; what are you doing here? and what have you been doing
since last Easter? and where are Helen and her husband?"

"One question at a time, if you please, sir," said Miss Gladden.

"That's right, giving the old man orders, as usual; we always spoiled
you, Leslie. Well, in the first place, what possessed you to leave us
in the way you did? We understood you had gone to spend Easter with
Helen; and the next we heard, Helen wrote her sister that they were
going to spend the summer traveling in the west, and that you were to
accompany them."

"I will explain that a little later; what is the next in order?"

"Is Helen here with you?"

"No, sir, she and George are in Denver."

"And who is stopping here with you?"

"No one; do you think I need a guardian, or a chaperon?"

The old man's eyes twinkled; "You always were an independent sort of a
girl, and pretty level-headed, too, I must admit; but, my dear child,
is it safe for you to be out here alone among the miners