rs, she hesitated on the outer edge of the circle. She
could not mingle with the rush and waited until the flurry was over.
The men were scarcely less embarrassed than she, and while not
appearing to see her, both were watching her every movement. When the
time came that the meeting could no longer be delayed, Ruggles walked
to her and extended his hand.

"Well, Nellie, aren't you glad to see me?"

The crinkling of the whiskers at the side of the invisible mouth
showed that he was laughing, and indeed his white teeth gleamed
through his wealth of beard. Nellie promptly advanced and met him half
way.

"Mr. Ruggles, I can't tell you how glad I am to meet you again."

He had been asking himself whether it would do to kiss this vision of
loveliness. He wished to do so, but was afraid. However, the question
was settled by the girl, who, instead of taking the hand, flung her
arms about his neck and saluted him fervently, that is as well as she
could under the conditions.

Al Bidwell came forward and was received in the same manner. Then, as
the two men stepped back and looked admiringly at her, she said:

"I can see you are the same and yet those beards make you look
different; I love to think of you as you were when you bade us good-by
and rode off four years ago."

"We shall be glad to fix up our faces in the old style," said Ruggles,
while his companion nodded assent. If she had asked them to cut off
their heads they would have unhesitatingly agreed to do it.

"No doubt we've changed somewhat," said Bidwell, "but not one half so
much as you."

"As I!" she repeated in astonishment; "why, I am just the same," and
she looked down at her dress, as if seeking the explanation of his
remark; "I haven't changed a bit."

"Not in goodness and all that sort of thing, but we left a little girl
and now I'm blessed if we don't find a young woman, and yet it's the
same little girl after all."

The maidenly blush darkened her face and she laughed.

"You couldn't expect me to stand still all these years."

"No; though we would have been glad if you had done so."

The three were standing apart, the others with commendable delicacy
leaving them to themselves. Nellie laid her arm on the sleeve of
Ruggles, and looking up yearningly in his face she asked:

"Can you give me any news of father?"

"Being as him and me was on different sides, I haven't seen or heard a
thing of him since we parted in San Francisco, but I hope all