decent slowness. Had she obeyed her impulse, she should have run. She
forced herself to turn at the door and smile back, forced herself to
bridle her emotions and go quietly to breakfast and to her ordeal with
the lightning thrusts of Kate Waddington.

* * * * *

Two days later, Eleanor followed Judge Tiffany to the ranch. A
perplexing fruit season brought her fair excuse. The year before, the
Japanese, adventurers in minor labors, had begun to flood the Santa
Lucia tract. They drove out the Chinese; when that spring brought
picking contracts, no Oriental was to be had save a Japanese. In the
first rush of that season, the Japanese pickers on the Tiffany ranch,
in concert with all the other Japanese of Santa Lucia, had thrown down
their baskets, repudiated their agreements, and struck. It needed more
than Judge Tiffany's failing strength, more than Olsen's methodical
plodding, to conquer this situation.

She must be a post now, not a rail, Eleanor told Mrs. Tiffany. And
Kate would help until Mr. Chester could be moved. At further
acceptance of Kate, Mrs. Tiffany rebelled. Kate had foisted herself on
them. Goodness knew, Mrs. Tiffany couldn't tell why they had ever
accepted that situation. It didn't seem to her even decent.

"You'll perplex me greatly, dear Aunt Mattie, if you don't let her
remain now!" said Eleanor, looking up from her packing.

This remark, cryptic though it was, came as a fresh shower to Mrs.
Tiffany's curiosity. Never before had Eleanor so nearly committed
herself on the subject which lay like lead on her aunt's
responsibilities. It prompted Mrs. Tiffany to try for a wider
opening.

"Would you like it, dear, if we brought Mr. Chester down to the ranch
to recuperate when he is better? I'm sure Edward wouldn't object.
After all, he's ready to forgive the Northrup affair."

Eleanor looked up significantly.

"If you're consulting my wishes, certainly not!" she said.

The sigh which Mrs. Tiffany drew expressed deep relief. Thereafter,
they proceeded straight ahead with the arrangement. Eleanor went on to
the ranch. Kate, remaining, made herself so useful in a hundred ways
that Mrs. Tiffany's irritation wore itself away.

The old combination of Eleanor and an attractive though undesirable
young man had moved her to a perilous sympathy. Now that it was over,
now that she had no more responsibility in the matter, she transferred
some of that vivid and f