old friend of mother's met me in
Chicago, and put me on the train for Council Bluffs, and 'twas easy
enough changing there, so I didn't have any trouble; but you'd better
believe I was glad to see Uncle Ralph when he walked into the sleeper
yesterday afternoon."

"I believe I'd be willing to go round the world alone, if I could only
go," said Allie. "I'm a real railroad man's daughter, and like to
travel; don't I, poppy?" And she nestled closer to her father's side,
while with amused eyes she watched their guest's expression change,
first to astonishment, then to disgust, as he looked at the main street,
with its low buildings, some few of brick, little one-story structures,
whose fronts were run up in a thin, flat wall, with sham window blinds
at a second-story level, to present the appearance of more pretentious
buildings.

Fresh as he was from the closely-packed streets of the great city, with
their unbroken rows of towering business blocks and apartment houses,
Charlie was conscious of vague wonder at the rough little mining camp
before him. Then he turned and looked up at the mountain, and, boy that
he was, he forgot all else, all the crudeness of the buildings and all
the roughness of the surroundings, as he saw the full grandeur of the
snow-clad Rockies shining and glistening in the morning sunshine, which
lay caressingly over their giants slopes. He bent forward to look at
them once more, while his face grew very thoughtful and intent; then he
dropped back into his old corner, saying, in an awed, hushed tone, as if
to himself,--

"Jove! It's worth it all, to have a chance to look at those."

"I'm glad you like them," said Allie heartily, though she smiled at his
"Jove," when she recalled her recent charge to Howard to avoid all
slang. "The town must seem queer to you; but the mountains make up for
it. Now lean 'way forward, and look out this side. That little brick
house is ours; and there's mamma in the door, and Howard just back of
her, waiting to give you greeting."

"Now, honestly, Allie, how did you like him?" Howard asked, as soon as
his mother had taken Charlie to his room and the door closed behind
them.

"I think I do like him," said Allie slowly. "He didn't talk much coming
up; but I don't know as I wonder, when we're all strangers to him. He
has sort of a good face; of course he isn't handsome, like Ned and
Grant, but he looks as if he'd have some fun in him."

"I shouldn't think he did look