such a friend as
Mr. Drummond; he may be able to do a lot for you."

"All right, Beth," Jack answered, not as affectionately as usual. "But
don't talk about Mr. Drummond's being _useful_ to us. I should hate to
have a friend for any such horrid reason."

Beth's delicate arm clung to Jack with such pathetic appeal that she was
soon softened. "What was it you wanted to tell me?" she asked a second
later.

"I want you to do the most wonderful and beautiful thing for me, Jack,"
Elizabeth answered passionately, "and what you do will prove whether you
are a friend of mine and want me near you, or whether you have been
deceiving me all this time. You know you promised me you would do
anything I wished on this trip, if I would walk more and try not to be
cross, and I have tried to do as you said. Promise me, promise me, you
will grant my request, won't you? It will make me so happy!" Elizabeth's
cheeks burned with the strength of her desire.

"What in the world are you talking about?" Jack queried, feeling her
heart beat uncomfortably.

"Well, father wishes me to persuade you to sell him part of your ranch,"
Elizabeth explained eagerly. "You see I wrote him that I never had a
real girl friend in my life until now, but I believed you cared for me.
He says if you do, you will let him have some of your land, so that he
can build a little house for me. He wants just a special part of the
ranch; I don't understand just what part, but I know it would not make
any difference to you, for it is somewhere in the neighborhood of your
creek. Then father wrote that if you would do this for me, I could
invite you to visit me in New York next winter and he would pay all your
expenses. Oh, wouldn't it be too heavenly!" Elizabeth had taken her arms
from about Jack's neck and was clasping her hands together until the
veins showed through her white skin. But Jack was as white as her
companion, for she knew how difficult it would be to refuse Elizabeth's
request and not bitterly wound her feelings, yet the answer must be
made.

"I am so sorry, dear," Jack replied, "but I can't sell your father any
part of our ranch. The ranch does not belong to me alone and, as I am
not of age, Jim Colter is our guardian; and he would never consent to
our giving up a part of our place. Don't you see, we need it all to
raise our cattle, and the creek is particularly valuable. I can't
understand why your father is so anxious to buy the Rainbow Ranch. He
has