ill claim it and use it for some good purpose, and
at this moment, what better purpose than to see that a brave, good man
shall not lie in prison?" And, thanking the banker for his aid, she
added: "If Mr. Rawlins, the supervisor, is still in town, I wish you
would find him and ask him to come to me; tell him I want to see him
immediately."

Willing took occasion, as he went through the hotel office down-stairs,
to call the proprietor aside and say: "Anything Miss McLaren wants you'd
better supply. She's able to pay."

The landlord, who had shared the general suspicion abroad in the
community, stared. "Are you sure of that? I was just wondering about
these folks. They have the reputation of being as poor as Job's off ox."

"You needn't worry. The girl has a balance in our bank of several
thousand dollars."

"You don't tell me!" exclaimed the landlord.

Willing went on, smoothly: "Better give her the parlor and put an
extension 'phone in for her use. She needs a trained nurse, but I'll
attend to that if you'll see to the 'phone."

In theory, we all despise money; in fact, we find it of wondrous
potency. Behold this hotelkeeper mentally taking his feet from his desk
and removing his hat when he learned that one of these hermits had
unlimited credit at the bank. Mr. Willing's cashier was also deeply
impressed and puzzled.

"What did such a girl mean by living away up there with that Shellfish
gang of rustlers and counterfeiters? What's the idea?" he asked,
irritably. "She certainly has acted like a fly-by-night up to this
time."

"Well, she's established herself now. Her connections are first class,"
Willing rejoined. "Here's another telegram from Louisville asking full
information concerning Miss McLaren and Arnold Kauffman. They don't stop
at expense. Evidently they have all been in the dark about the girl's
whereabouts and want the facts. Some story to put into a telegram, but
I'll do my best."

"Don't scare 'em," cautioned Knight. "Say she's all right and surrounded
by friends."

Willing took his turn at smiling. "Didn't look that way this morning,
did it? But she's all right now--except that she's terribly wrought up
over Hanscom's predicament."

"Well, no wonder. As near as I can figger, he's stood by her like a
brother-in-law, and the least she can do is to stick around and help him
out."

Conditions between Helen and the ranger were now precisely reversed. It
was she who was eagerly trying to save h