?" A new respect was in Mr. Cone's manner. "Cattle?"

"Sheep," replied Miss Eyester, proudly. "Mr. Fripp is herding at
present."

* * * * *

In a week Mr. Cone was as familiar with the glorious summer which The
Happy Family had spent in the West as if he had been there. Although he
knew the story by heart he still thrilled when Mr. Penrose backed the
bear up against a tree and separated its jaws until it "moaned like a
human."

He continued to listen with flattering attention to the recital of the
intrepid spinster who would have given battle to a hungry coyote if it
had attacked her, as he did to the account of Mr. Stott's reckless
courage in putting to flight a notorious outlaw who had hired out as a
cook for some sinister purpose.

But, gradually, Mr. Cone began to detect discrepancies, and he noticed
also that the descriptions not only varied but grew more hair-raising
with repetition. Also, he guessed shrewdly that the reason the members
of The Happy Family never contradicted one another was that they dared
not.

The day came, finally, when Mr. Cone found it not only expedient but
necessary to arrange a signal with the operator at the switchboard for
certain contingencies. A close observer might have noticed that a
preliminary "That reminds me" was invariably followed by an imperative
announcement from the operator that Mr. Cone was wanted on the
telephone.

A haste which resembled flight frequently marked the departure of other
guests when a reminiscence seemed threatening until, forsooth, the time
arrived when they had only themselves for audience and their "That
reminds me" became "Do you remember?" The only wonder was, to those less
travelled, that The Happy Family ever had brought themselves to leave
that earthly paradise in Wyoming, even for the winter.

The only person whom their enthusiasm did not weary was Miss Mary
Macpherson, because directly and indirectly it all redounded to the
credit of her nephew, whom she now carefully called Wallace, as more
befitting the dignity of a successful "Dude Wrangler" than the
diminutive.

Wallie's refusal to accept her offer had brought tears of disappointment
to the eyes of the lonely woman, yet secretly she respected his pride
and boasted to strangers of his independence.

"My nephew, Wallace Macpherson--you may have heard of him? He has large
interests in Wyoming. Went West without a penny, practically; too proud