t's a real home."

"Me wife's comin' in a minute. While she's--er--combin' her hair,
mebby you'd like to see some of the improvements." And Sundown marched
proudly to the new dining-room--an extension that he had built
himself--and waved an invitation for his guests to behold and marvel.

The dining-room was, in its way, also picturesque. The exceedingly
plain table was covered with a clean white cloth. The furniture, owing
to some fortunate accident of choice, was not ornate but of plain
straight lines, redeemed by painted ollas filled with flowers. The
white walls were decorated with two pictures, a lithograph of the
Madonna,--which seemed entirely in keeping with the general tone of the
room, but which would have looked glaringly out of place anywhere
else,--and an enlarged full-length photograph, framed, of an
exceedingly tall and gorgeous cowboy, hat in hand, quirt on wrist, and
looking extremely impressive. Beside the cowboy stood a great, shaggy
dog--Chance. And, by chance, the picture was a success.

"Why, it's you, Sun!" exclaimed Corliss, striding to the picture. "And
it's a dandy! I'd hang it in the front room."'

"That's what Neeter was sayin'. But I kind of like it in here. You
see, Neeter sets there and I set here where I can see me picture while
I'm eatin'. It kind of gives me a good appetite. 'Course, lookin' out
the window is fine. See them there mesas dancin' in the sun, and the
grass wavin' and me cows grazing and 'way off like in a dream them blue
hills! It's sure a millionaire picture! And it don't cost nothin'."

"That's the best of it!" said Corliss heartily. "We're going to
build--over on the mesa near the fork. You remember?"

Sundown's flush was inexplicable to Margery, but Corliss understood.
He had ridden the trail toward the fork one night. . . . But that was
past, atoned for. . . . He would live that down.

"It's a purty view, over there," said Sundown gently.

And the two men felt that that which was not forgotten was at least
forgiven--would never again be mentioned.

"And me kitchen," said Sundown, leading the way, "is Neeter's. She
runs it. There's more good eats comes out of it than they is fancy
crockery in it, which just suits me. And out here"--and the party
progressed to the back yard--"is me new corral and stable and
chicken-coop. I made all them improvements meself, durin' the winter.
Reckon you saw the gasoline-engine what does the pumpin' for th