the tules, that my men are nigh
worrited out o' their butes with 'em. Hank and Jim ain't been off
their mustangs since sun up, and Hiram, what with partrollen' the West
Boundary all night, watchin' stakes whar them low down Harrisons hev
been trespassin'--hasn't put his feet to the ground in fourteen hours.
Mebbee you noticed Hiram ez you kem along? Ef so, ye didn't remember
what kind o' shootin' irons he had with him? I see his rifle over yon.
Like ez not he'z only got his six-shooter, and them Harrisons are mean
enough to lay for him at long range. But," she added, returning to the
less important topic, "I s'pose Cressy came all right."

"Yes," said the master hopelessly.

"I reckon she looked so," continued Mrs. McKinstry, with tolerant
abstraction. "She allowed to do herself credit in one of them new store
gownds that she got at Sacramento. At least that's what some of our
men said. Late years, I ain't kept tech with the fashions myself." She
passed her fingers explanatorily down the folds of her own coarse gown,
but without regret or apology.

"She seemed well prepared in her lessons," said the master, abandoning
for the moment that criticism of his pupil's dress, which he saw was
utterly futile, "but am I to understand that she is coming regularly to
school--that she is now perfectly free to give her entire attention to
her studies--that--that--her--engagement is broken off?"

"Why, didn't she tell ye?" echoed Mrs. McKinstry in languid surprise.

"SHE certainly did," said the master with slight embarrassment, "but"--

"Ef SHE said so," interrupted Mrs. McKinstry abstractedly, "she oughter
know, and you kin tie to what she says."

"But as I'm responsible to PARENTS and not to scholars for the
discipline of my school," returned the young man a little stiffly, "I
thought it my duty to hear it from YOU."

"That's so," said Mrs. McKinstry meditatively; "then I reckon you'd
better see Hiram. That ar' Seth Davis engagement was a matter of hern
and her father's, and not in MY line. I 'spose that Hiram nat'rally
allows to set the thing square to you and inquirin' friends."

"I hope you understand," said the master, slightly resenting the
classification, "that my reason for inquiring about the permanency of
your daughter's attendance was simply because it might be necessary to
arrange her studies in a way more suitable to her years; perhaps even
to suggest to you that a young ladies' seminary might be more
satisf