rant
till now of many things; but I shouldn't have forgotten that she loved
me and had reared me and cared for me when there was no one else. No,
father, no! And now that you have let me find out what I owe her, do
you think I sha'n't remember it always with every beat of my heart? Oh,
yes--although I can never repay her for all she has suffered in keeping
me from knowing things which would have hurt me too much when I was
little and--and could not make allowances--as I can now. My home is
here. My heart is here, father. You must let me stay!"

She had taken Jane's hand and was holding it closely--that happy hand
which for very blessedness and amazement trembled more than her own.
And so holding it, she cried, "_Tia_, you want me to stay, don't you?
Say yes! Tell him I may stay! It is my home where you are. And oh, how
different I will be!"

Jane, listening, could only press those slender, clinging fingers in
speechless comfort, and look up silently into the imploring eyes of her
child--eyes filled with tears and love. A moment of silence ensued.
Then, clearing his throat suddenly, Mr. Keene rose and walked to the
window.

"Lola," he said presently, turning to face the two others, "I don't
blame you one bit. Miss Jane's done a heap more for you than I had any
notion. 'Tisn't only that she's done all you say, but she's raised you
to be a girl I'm proud of--a right-minded, right-hearted girl. I never
thought how it would look for you to be willing to rush off at the
first word and leave behind you the person you owed most to in the
world! But I'm free to say I wouldn't have liked it when I come to
think of it. I wouldn't have felt proud of you like I do now. Knocking
around the foot-hills has shaken me up pretty well, but I know what's
right as well as any man. There's things in my life I'd like to forget;
but they say it's never too late to mend. And I have hopes of myself
when I see what a noble girl my daughter's turned out."

[Illustration: "'TIA, YOU ARE A LADY OF FORTUNE!'"]

He put his handkerchief away and came and stood before them, adding, "I
haven't had a chance to finish my other story. When Miss Jane gave me
that grub-stake she didn't know, I reckon, that half of anything I
might strike would belong to her--that in law, grub-stakes always means
halves! But I never had any intention of not dealing fair and square.
So when I said she wasn't going to be poor, I meant it! For half 'the
Little Lola' belongs