hy, Mr. Lancaster is old enough to be her father!"

"Pile's old, too," said Wickersham, dryly.

"She doesn't care about that either," said Keith, shortly.

"Oh, doesn't she! You know her mother?"

"No; I don't believe she does. Whatever her mother is, she is a fine,
high-minded girl."

Ferdy gave a laugh which might have meant anything. It made Keith hot
all over. Keith, fearing to trust himself further, changed the subject
and asked after the Rawsons, Wickersham having mentioned that he had
been staying with them.

"Phrony is back at home, I believes She has been off to school. I hear
she is very much improved?"

"I don't know; I didn't notice her particularly," said Wickersham,
indifferently.

"She is very pretty. Jake Dennison thinks so," laughed Keith.

"Jake Dennison? Who is he?"

"He's an old scholar of mine. He is inside now on the front seat; one of
your friends."

"Oh, that's the fellow! I thought I had seen him before. Well, he had
better try some other stock, I guess. He may find that cornered. She is
not going to take a clod like that."

Wickersham went off into a train of reflection.

"I say, Keith," he began unexpectedly, "maybe, you can help me about a
matter, and if so I will make it worth your while."

"About what matter?" asked Keith, wondering.

"Why, about that old dolt Rawson's land. You see, the governor has got
himself rather concerned. When he got this property up here in the
mountains and started to build the railroad, some of these people here
got wind of it. That fool, Rhodes, talked about it too much, and they
bought up the lands around the old man's property. They think the
governor has got to buy 'em out. Old Rawson is the head of 'em. The
governor sent Halbrook down to get it; but Halbrook is a fool, too. He
let him know he wanted to buy him out, and, of course, he raised. You
and he used to be very thick. He was talking of you the other night."

"He and I are great friends. I have a great regard for him, and a much
higher opinion of his sense than you appear to have. He is a very
shrewd man."

"Shrewd the deuce! He's an old blockhead. He has stumbled into the
possession of some property which I am ready to pay him a fair price
for. He took it for a cow-pasture. It isn't worth anything. It would
only be a convenience to us to have it and prevent a row in the future,
perhaps. That is the only reason I want it. Besides, his title to it
ain't worth a ----, anyhow. We hav