I'm afraid."

"What?"

Cordelia started nervously. The man had turned upon her so sharply that
his crutches fell to the floor with a crash.

"Oh, sir, I beg your pardon," she apologized, springing to her feet.
"I'm so afraid you were asleep, and I startled you. I--I will go now.
And--and thank you ever so much for writing down those names!"

The man shook his head decidedly.

"Don't go," he begged. "You have not tired me, and I like to hear you
talk. Now sit down, please, and tell me all about these people--this
James Hunt's sister, and all the rest."

"Oh, do you really want to know about them?" cried Cordelia, joyfully.
"Then I will tell you; for maybe it would help you find them, you know."

"Yes, maybe it would," agreed the man, in a curiously vibrant voice, as
Cordelia seated herself again at his side. "Now talk."

And Cordelia talked. She talked not only then, but several times after
that, and she talked always of Sunbridge. Mr. Edwards seemed so
interested in everything and everybody there, though specially, of
course, in the relatives of the four lost people she was trying to
find--which was natural, certainly, thought Cordelia, inasmuch as he,
too, was going to search for them in the weeks to come.

Mr. Edwards improved in health very rapidly these days. He discarded his
crutches, and seemed feverishly anxious to test his strength on every
occasion. Upon Mr. Hartley's return from the round-up, the injured man
insisted that he was quite well enough to go away; and, in spite of the
kind ranchman's protests, he did go the next day after Mr. Hartley's
return. Carlos drove him to Bolo, and the Happy Hexagons stood on the
ranch-house steps and gave him their Texas yell as a send-off,
substituting a lusty "MR. EDWARDS" for Genevieve's name at the end.

"That is the most convenient yell," chuckled Tilly, as the ranch wagon
with Carlos and Mr. Edwards drove away. "It'll do for anything and
anybody. And didn't Mr. Edwards like it!"

"Of course he did! He couldn't help it," cried Genevieve.

"I think Mr. Edwards is a very nice man," observed Cordelia, with
emphasis, "and I wish he could have stayed for the party."

"Why, of course he's a nice man," chimed in the other girls, eyeing her
earnest face a little curiously.

"Who said he wasn't?" laughed Tilly. "My! but it is hot, isn't it?" she
added, dropping into one of the big wicker chairs near her.

"Oh, of course we have to have some warm weather," brid