e not alarmed so long as we have you and Mr. Kelley as our
protectors," she replied, smiling sweetly upon Tall Ed.

They had reached the car-line by this time, and were standing looking
down the valley, and Fred, pulling out his watch, remarked: "You just
have time to make that three-o'clock train. That will connect you with
the night express for Los Angeles."

"Fred, what's the matter with you?" queried his sister, sharply. "You
seem absolutely determined to get rid of us at once." Then, seeing that
she had perhaps gone a little too far, she said, with a smile, "Mother,
isn't he the loving son?"

The youth surrendered to her will and dropped all opposition. He
appeared to welcome their decision to wait over another day; but Kelley
busied himself with thinking how he could ward off any undesired
information which might approach the two women--the mother especially.
It would be quite wonderful if, with another twenty-four hours to
spend, Florence did not get Fred's secret from him.

He decided to put the matter squarely before her, and when they took the
car arranged to have her sit beside him in a seat across the aisle from
the mother and son, and almost immediately began his explanation by
saying, very significantly:

"I reckon the boy is right, Miss Morse. You had better take that
three-o'clock train."

She faced him with instant appreciation of the change in his tone. "Why
so?" she asked, fixing a clear and steady glance upon his face.

"It will be easier for him and better for--for all of us if you go. He
wants to spare your mother from--"

She was quick to perceive his hesitation. "From what?" she asked. And as
he did not at once reply she went on, firmly: "You might just as well
tell me, Mr. Kelley. Fred's been up to some mischief. He's afraid, and
you're afraid, we'll find out something to his disadvantage. Now tell
me. Is it--is it--a woman?"

"No," said Kelley as decisively as he could. "So far as I know Fred's
not tangled up _that_ way."

Quick as a flash she took him up on his emphasized word. "In what way
_is_ he tangled up?"

Kelley, more and more amazed at her shrewdness and directness, decided
to meet it with blunt candor. "Well, you see, it's like this. When he
first came out here he struck a streak of hard luck and lost all he had.
He was forced to go to work at anything he could get to earn money,
and--you see, when a feller is down and out he's got to grab anything
that offers--and so, w