e must be his sister, for she had the same
coloring as and a strong family resemblance to the budding lawyer--wheeled
her horse and rode directly to Helen's side.

"Oh, Miss Morrell!" she cried, putting out her gauntleted hand. "Is it
really she, Dud? How wonderful!"

Helen shook hands rather timidly, for Miss Jessie Stone was torrential in
her speech. There wasn't a chance to "get a word in edgewise" when once
she was started upon a subject that interested her.

"My goodness me!" she cried, still shaking Helen's hand. "Is this really
the girl who pulled you out of that tree, Dud? Who saved your life and
took you on her pony to the big ranch? My, how romantic!

"And you really own a ranch, Miss Morrell? How nice that must be! And
plenty of cattle on it--Why! you don't mind the price of beef at all; do
you? And what a clever girl you must be, too. Dud came back full of your
praise, now I tell you----"

"There, there!" cried Dud. "Hold on a bit, Jess, and let's hear how Miss
Morrell is--and what she is doing here in the big city, and all that."

"Well, I declare, Dud! You take the words right out of my mouth," said his
sister, warmly. "I was just going to ask her that. And we're going to the
Casino for breakfast, Miss Morrell, and you must come with us. You've had
your ride; haven't you?"

"I--I'm just returning," admitted Helen, rather breathless, if Jess was
not.

"Come on, then!" cried the good-natured but talkative city girl. "Come,
Dud, you ride ahead and engage a table and order something nice. I'm as
ravenous as a wolf. Dear me, Miss Morrell, if you have been riding long
you must be quite famished, too!"

"I had coffee and rolls early," said Helen, as Dud spurred his horse
away.

"Oh, what's coffee and rolls? Nothing at all--nothing at all! After I've
been jounced around on this saddle for an hour I feel as though I never
_had_ eaten. I don't care much for riding myself, but Dud is crazy for it,
and I come to keep him company. You must ride with us, Miss Morrell. How
long are you going to stay in town? And to think of your having saved
Dud's life--Well! he'll never get over talking about it."

"He makes too much of the incident," declared Helen, determined to get in
a word. "I only lent him a rope and he saved himself."

"No. You carried him on your pony to that ranch. Oh, I know it all by
heart. He talks about it to everybody. Dud is _so_ enthusiastic about the
West. He is crazy to go back again--he