ally added, "--any idiot can
smile at th' mornin' star even if th' darned thing is beyond his reach!
Besides, she don't need to ever know--" Leaving the bunk-house he went
toward the circular corral.

Parker climbed from the car and entered the house, asking if Ophelia was
ready.

"In just a moment!" the widow called from her room.

"What are you and me going to do?" Skinny asked Carolyn June as they
stepped on to the porch, "take a ride?"

"On 'Old Blue'?" Carolyn June questioned scornfully, then, with
resignation, as they went inside the house: "Oh, well--I suppose, after
a while. I have some letters to write now," and she entered her room
leaving Skinny standing perplexed by her varying moods. He looked
foolishly at Parker a moment. Going to the graphophone he put on a
record--

"_I'm forever blowing bubbles, pretty bubbles in the air_!"

wailed disconsolately through the house.

"Good heavens," Carolyn June called, "do you blow bubbles this early in
the morning?"

"Don't you like it?" Skinny asked soberly. "I thought that was a pretty
good tune."

"I'm crazy about it!" Carolyn June answered sarcastically. "There and
then, but not here and now--"

"Where and when?" Skinny queried innocently.

"In the valley of the moon at the end of a perfect day!" she laughed
back. "--Forgive me, I couldn't help it!"

"What does she mean?" Skinny asked Parker in a whisper. "Is she making
fun of me?"

"No, you blamed fool," Parker replied, "she feels good and is just
joking--"

Skinny brightened up immediately.

"That's a good one," he called to Carolyn June with a snicker; "I never
thought of it before!"

A ripple of laughter came from Carolyn June's room.

"Really, I don't mind," she said; "play _Bubbles_ as much as you like--I
think it's rather soothing, but truly I must write my letters now so
Ophelia can take them to town."

Half an hour later Ophelia appeared dressed for the drive to Eagle
Butte. Carolyn June and Skinny went out on the front porch and watched
the widow and Parker climb into the Clagstone "Six." As Parker started
the engine Skinny suddenly called to him. Parker sat with his foot on
the clutch while Skinny hurried out to the car.

"What do you want?" he asked impatiently, "We've got to be going!"

"Lean over here," Skinny said, his face flushing scarlet, "I want to
tell you something."

"Well?"

"Stop at the Golden Rule and get me a white shirt size number fifteen
and--a purple n