just
you watch my smoke," she said, and set her heels sharply to the flanks
of her mount. The astonished Blaze responded with a snort and a leap and
cut loose his speed, Sandy after them on the pinto.

They got to the ranch ahead of the flivver by a scant margin. Miranda
Bailey inducted Molly and her chaperon governess into the quarters she
had helped prepare for them, Molly giving little cries of delight at the
improvements she saw down-stairs. Miranda came down first and joined the
partners.

"Molly is certainly sweet," she said. "She's grown into a woman an'
she's grown away from the old Molly. Can't say as how she's affected
none an' her speech an' manners is sure fine. That gel's natcherally got
a grand disposition.

"The Nicholson person--her first name is Clarice--is well-meanin'
enough. She ain't shif'less, but she ain't what you'd call practical. I
reckon she does fine in teachin' Molly some things, but she'd be plumb
wasted out West. She never saw a churn an' she'd likely die of thirst
before she'd ever learn how to milk a cow. She's like the rest of 'em
back East, I imagine, goes fine so long as folks can be hired to do
everything fo' you. I'll say she never washed out anything bigger than a
hankychif or cooked a thing larger'n an egg. An' she c'udn't boss a sick
lizard. But she's easy to git along with, I suppose."

There was a certain complacency about the spinster's summing up of the
Amenable Nicholson that made Sam wink covertly at Sandy, watching Mormon
at the same time. Sam was convinced that, despite the handicap of a
third wife, present whereabouts unknown, Miranda had made up her mind to
marry Mormon and regarded all other women as possible rivals.

"That Donald is a good-lookin' lad," went on Miranda. "It must take him
an awful waste of time to fix his clothes every time he puts 'em on. I
don't know how smart he is inside, but he's got some of them
movin'-picture heroes beat on appearance. I'm wonderin' what Molly
thinks about him. As for his father, he's smart enough inside an' out.
But he talks too much like a politician to suit me. I'm mighty glad we
got cash for our claims. Keith's too slick an' smooth an' smilin' to
suit me. So long as he had lots he'd give you some to help the game
erlong but, when the grazin' gits short, he'll hog the range or quit it.
That's my opinion. Or ruther, it ain't my opinion, for I ain't done a
heap of thinkin' on it, it's the way I feel. Some apples sets my te