the time being at least--Helen's nature. From a frank,
open-hearted, loving girl she became suspicious, morose and secretive. The
first words she heard held her spell-bound--an unintentional eavesdropper.
And what she heard made her determined to appear to her unkind relatives
quite as they expected her to appear.

CHAPTER XI

LIVING UP TO ONE'S REPUTATION

"Well! my lady certainly takes her time about getting up," Belle
Starkweather was saying.

"She was tired after her journey, I presume," her father said.

"Across the continent in a day-coach, I suppose," laughed Hortense,
yawning.

"I _was_ astonished at that bill for taxi hire Olstrom put on your desk,
Pa," said Belle. "She must have ridden all over town before she came
here."

"A girl who couldn't take a plain hint," cried Hortense, "and stay away
altogether when we didn't answer her telegram----"

"Hush, girls. We must treat her kindly," said their father. "Ahem!"

"I don't see _why_?" demanded Hortense, bluntly.

"You don't understand everything," responded Mr. Starkweather, rather
weakly.

"I don't understand _you_, Pa, sometimes," declared Hortense.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing right now!" snapped the older girl. "I've
ordered her things taken out of that chamber. Her shabby old trunk has
gone up to the room at the top of the servants' stairway. It's good enough
for her."

"We certainly have not got to have this cowgirl around for long,"
continued Hortense. "She'd be no fit company for Flossie. Flossie's rude
enough as it is."

The youngest daughter had gone to school, so she was not present with her
saucy tongue to hold up her own end of the argument.

"Think of a girl right from a cattle ranch!" laughed Belle. "Fine! I
suppose she knows how to rope steers, and break ponies, and ride bareback
like an Indian, and all that. Fine accomplishments for a New York
drawing-room, I must say."

"Oh, yes," joined in Hortense. "And she'll say 'I reckon,' and drop her
'g's' and otherwise insult the King's English."

"Ahem! I must warn you girls to be less boisterous," advised their
father.

"Why, you sound as though you were almost afraid of this cowgirl, Pa,"
said Belle, curiously.

"No, no!" protested Mr. Starkweather, hurriedly.

"Pa's so easy," complained Hortense. "If I had my way I wouldn't let her
stay the day out."

"But where would she go?" almost whined Mr. Starkweather.

"Back where she came from."

"Perhaps the folks