. Anyway"--he grasped eagerly at something safe--"anyway,
you can't beat that white dress."

She turned to him again, once more the everyday Sheila.

"All right, old boy, we'll let it go at that. Forget it. And now I'll
tell you something: I wore this white dress--absolutely the plainest
thing I have--because I didn't want to come into a finery contest with
Miss Burnaby. And now let's look at the old dog. I'm afraid he'll have
to be shot."

Farwell put in an appearance after supper. It was plain that the big
engineer had not expected to find other guests; also that their
presence embarrassed him. Quite unused to dissembling his feelings, he
took no pains to hide his dislike for Dunne. Casey, on the other hand,
was polite, suave, quiet, wearing the mocking smile that invariably
exasperated the engineer.

"You and Mr. Farwell are not friends," Clyde ventured on the way home.

"He doesn't think much of me," Casey admitted. "I rub him the wrong
way."

"As you were doing to-night."

"Was I?"

"You know you were. Is there a private quarrel between you, apart from
the water matter?"

"Not exactly. But it would come to that if we saw much of each other."

"Then I hope you won't. It's embarrassing to others."

"I'm awfully sorry. It was very bad form, of course. But somehow I
couldn't help it."

"Never mind. The McCraes are affected by this water trouble, aren't
they?"

"As much as I am. You are surprised that Farwell goes there. I have
never mentioned it to them, nor they to me. It's none of my business."

"Nor of mine."

"I didn't mean that."

"I know you didn't. Still, I think I could guess why Mr. Farwell goes
to Talapus."

"So could I," said Casey dryly, and the subject dropped.

But Kitty Wade came to Clyde's room for a chat before retiring. "Those
McCraes," she said, "are very nice. Mr. McCrae is one of the real
pioneers. He told us some of the most interesting things. How did you
like Miss McCrae?"

"I think she's a very nice, sensible girl. Good-looking, too."

"H'm!" said Kitty Wade. "Yes, I think she is. Dresses nicely and
simply. No imitation fine things. Shows the correct instinct. You and
she might have been having a plain-clothes competition."

Clyde did not respond. Kitty Wade resumed, after a brief pause: "I'll
tell you one thing, Clyde; this man Farwell is in love with her."

"I could see that, Kitty."

"And she doesn't care for him."

"I thought that, too."

"I wonder," Kitty