eed, between sleep and labor, the hours of Jessica's unbroken rest
passed quickly, after all; and the good news having spread almost as
swiftly as the ill, the grounds were full of people when, at last, she
awoke. But, even yet, Mrs. Trent's consideration for others refused a
prior or full hearing of the story to which her faithful helpers had
as good a right as she, if not as intense an interest in it. She made
the child eat and drink, and went with her to her favorite rostrum
when addressing her "company" of soldierly "boys"--the horse block.
Here the girl stood up and told her simple tale.

"You see, dear folks, it was just this way: Aunt Sally and I were on
the porch, and we found Elsa's ring, all crooked. We couldn't guess
how it came there, and I'd just been made pretty angry about the way
you felt toward 'Forty-niner.' Oh! it was dreadful, dreadful of you
all, and I never was so ashamed of my 'boys,' not in all my life."

"Go on with the story, captain. Never mind us," cried somebody.

"And a little way farther I found a piece of Elsa's knitted bag. That
made me think a lot. Then the tackers came, all paint, and with Mr.
Hale's horse, that had been on the mesa ever since he was here. That
made me think some more, and I told auntie if she wouldn't scold the
little ones I'd try to find their clothes. I didn't find them, though,
Aunt Sally."

"Go on! Go on! What next?" demanded an impatient listener.

"Then I saw Ferd. Oh, mother! If I tell I'm afraid they'll hurt him."

"He shall be protected, daughter, and you must tell," said the mother,
though she now shrank from the hearing.

"I asked him about the horse and the children, and he said 'yes,' he
had fixed them. He had driven Prince down from the mesa, when Pedro
didn't see him, and had 'showed that old carpenter' something to pay
for kicks and hard words. He knew something I'd like to know. So I
asked him what, and he said it was Elsa's money. But if I didn't go
with him without saying anything to anybody he wouldn't tell me how to
find it. I begged to tell my mother, but he said her least of all. It
wouldn't take long, only a few rods up the canyon; so, of course, I
went. I thought I should be back long before dinner-time, and that
mother would tell me to do anything which would clear old Ephraim's
name from your cruel suspicions. And, oh, boys! You were wrong, you
were wrong! He never took a cent that wasn't his own, and Elsa's money
is found!"

Absolu