the sole of one foot on the
instep of the other. "But Lysander ain't my father; he's my
brother-'n-law; he merried my sister."

"I beg your pardon," returned the young man absently, running his eye
along the stratum of rock in the ledge above them. "I believe he did
tell me he was not your father."

No one had ever begged Melissa's pardon before. She meditated a while as
to the propriety of saying, "You're welcome," but gave it up, wondering
a little that polite society had made no provision for such an
emergency, and stood in awkward silence, tying and untying her
bonnet-strings.

Sterling pursued his investigations in entire forgetfulness of her
presence, until Poindexter appeared in the path. Lysander followed,
managing, by length of stride, to keep up with the engineer's brisk
movements.

There was much animated talk among the three men, which Melissa made no
attempt to follow. The two engineers smiled leniently at Lysander's
theory concerning Forrester, and fell into a discussion involving terms
which were incomprehensible to both their hearers. All that Melissa did
understand was the frank kindliness of the younger man's manner, and his
evident desire to allay their fears. Colonel Forrester, he assured
Lysander, was the kindest-hearted man in the world,--a piece of
information which seemed to carry more surprise than comfort to its
recipient. He would make it all right as soon as he knew of it, and they
would go down and see him at once; that is, Mr. Poindexter would go, and
he turned to Poindexter, who said, with quite as much kindliness, but a
good deal less fervor, that he was going down to Santa Elena that
evening to see the Colonel, and would mention the matter to him.

"Don't worry yourself, Sproul," he added guardedly. "If we find out that
the work in the canon has affected the spring, I think it will be all
right."

"I reckon you won't be back before Monday?" said Lysander, with
interrogative ruefulness.

"Well, hardly; but that isn't very long."

"Folks can git purty dry in two days, 'specially temperance folks, and
some of our fam'ly 'll need somethin' to wet their whistles, for
there'll be a good deal o' talkin' done on the ranch between this and
Monday, if the water gives out." Lysander turned his back on Melissa,
who was pressing her bare foot in the soft wet earth at the bottom of
the ditch, and made an eloquent facial addition to his remarks, for the
benefit of the two men.

Sterling l