er to him.

"Here, Sol," he cried, "come over and see this."

The good-natured big fellow stopped his work and followed Jim to the
dust-begrimed window.

Jim stuck the photograph under Sol's nose.

"Do you know who that is?"

"Ya,--sure thing! You bet! Dam-good picture too, Jim!" he commented,
with an innocence well assumed.

"Yes,--you certainly seem to like it. I can't say it is very like you,
you son-of-a-gun."

"Me? No! Pretty like you though, Jim," Sol stammered.

"Look here, you big lump of humanity;--what the devil do you mean by
sending my photo all over the country and saying it is yours?"

"Me?--I ain't--I didn't--I----"

"Cut it out, you big bluffer! You couldn't lie decently to save your
neck."

Sol laughed at last.

"You not been goin' for to get mad, Jim. Just a little joke I have on
some girl. See!"

"Oh,--it was! Darned good joke for me--and you too!"

"Ya!--you see I find it one day on floor here. You drop it some time.
I ain't much of a swell looker for girls. All girls like face like
yours. I get Vancouver man make me twelve pictures all same as this
one. I send them just for little joke to girls I write to some time."

Jim clutched at his own hair despairingly, as Phil furiously worked
the bellows in his mirth.

"Great jumping Caesar! Twelve! Are you going to start a harem?"

"Ach, no! Just have a little fun,--that's all. You don't go and been
for to get mad at that."

"Great fun! Great joke!" commented Jim, "but you've put your foot in
it this time, old cock. One of these women is in town, looking for
your scalp. She is asking everybody in Vernock where Sol Hanson hangs
out."

Sol's big face grew a shade paler and his jaw dropped. He became
excited.

"You--you didn't been for to tell her,--Jim?"

"Sure I did! Why not? You're going to marry her,--aren't you? She's
telling everybody that."

Sol, who had been standing with his big hands spread on his leather
apron and his mouth agape, now showed signs of anxiety.

"But,--I--I--Which one is it, Jim? What she call herself?"

"Oh,--there are several, you blooming Mormon?"

Sol ran to his coat and pulled a bundle of letters and miscellaneous
photographs from the pocket. He handed them to Jim.

"Look at them," he cried in excitement. "Tell me quick which one
come."

He mopped the perspiration from his brow. "By hell!--I guess I been
got in a bad fix this time for sure."

Jim slowly went over the documents and photograp