nged in the sunlight with red gold, was gathered
into a knot near the top of a shapely, well-poised head, while stray
curls clustered rebelliously about the broad, fair brow, forming a
shining aureole.

Like a vision, the pair passed silently into the house, leaving
Rutherford, for once in his life, speechless, and Houston watching
him, apparently enjoying the situation.

"What's the matter, my boy?" he asked, in a low, laughing tone, "Are
you spell-bound?"

"Spell-bound? well, slightly!" responded Rutherford. "Great Heavens,
Houston! do they have such women as those out here?"

"Evidently they have some fine samples of the genuine article, but I
am not prepared to state how large a stock they carry. I'm positive of
one thing though, that within the last three minutes you have changed
your mind about taking the next train out. Not all the desperadoes and
villains you've met from Valley City out, could drive you away from
the mountains now."

"You're right, they couldn't," said Rutherford, with a broad grin,
"not if I know myself; no, sir, when I'm in the line of duty nothing
can scare me out of it worth a cent, and just now I feel it to be my
duty to solve some of the mysteries thickening around me, among them,
that of the mountain nymphs."

"Altogether too substantial for mountain nymphs, my boy," said
Houston, "and you will please remember, while pursuing your line of
duty, that I have vouched for your good behavior here, and am in a
measure responsible for you, and I don't want to get into any trouble
on your account."

Rutherford cleared his throat, and rising slowly with all the dignity
he could muster, looked gravely over his glasses at Houston in exact
imitation of Mr. Blaisdell, and in an oracular tone remarked:

"And you will please remember, my young friend, that I am out here as
your duly constituted guardian, and as such, it is my duty to form the
acquaintance of these--ahem!--these fair daughters of Eve, and judge
for myself whether or not they will be suitable companions for an
unsophisticated youth, like yourself."

"Good!" said Houston, and after a few more jokes, dinner being
announced by the moon-faced Minty, they went in to partake of their
first meal in what Rutherford styled the "Hotel de Maverick."

CHAPTER VIII.

A few moments later, Houston and his friend had been duly presented by
Mrs. Maverick, to Miss Gladden and to "our daughter, Lyle," the former
in a gown of soft, cli