ehind the house.

What most ranches gave over to weed patches, or hog lots, or dumping
grounds along the stream, at Cloverdale had become a shady clover-sodded
lawn sloping down to the river's edge. The biggest cottonwoods and elms in
the whole valley grew on this lawn. A hedge of lilac and other shrubbery
bordered by sunflowers and hollyhocks bounded it from the fields and
trellises of white honeysuckle screened it from the road.

[Illustration: Leigh turned to see Thaine Aydelot looking down at her as
he leaned over the high back of the rustic seat]

In a rustic seat overlooking the river and the prairies beyond, Leigh
Shirley bent lovingly above a square of heavy white paper on which she was
sketching a group of sunflowers glowing in the afternoon sunlight. Leigh's
talent was only an undeveloped inheritance, but if it lacked training it's
fresh originality was unspoiled.

"The top of the afternoon to you."

Leigh turned to see Thaine Aydelot looking down at her as he leaned over
the high back of the rustic seat. He was in his working clothes with his
straw hat set back, showing his brown face. His luminous dark eyes were
shining and a half-teasing, half-sympathetic smile was on his lips. But
whatever the clothes, there was always something of the Southern gentleman
about every man of the Thaine blood. Something of the soldierly bearing of
his father had been his heritage likewise.

"May I see your stuff, or is it not for the profane eyes of a thresher of
alfalfa to look upon?"

Leigh drew back and held up her drawing-board.

"It's just like you, Leigh. You always were an artist, but when did you
learn all the technique? Is that what you call it? How do you do it?"

"I don't know," Leigh answered frankly. "It seems to do itself."

"And why do you do it? Or why don't you do more of it?" Thaine asked.

The girl answered, smiling:

"Just between us two, I hope to do a piece good enough to sell and help to
lift the price of alfalfa seed a bit."

"By the way, I brought the first load of seed over just now. Where's Uncle
Jim?" Thaine asked, trying not to let the pity in his heart show itself in
his eyes.

"Uncle Jim is breaking sod--weeds, I mean--for fall sowing. Wait a minute
and I'll get you the money he left for you."

Thaine threw himself down in the shade beside Leigh's seat while she went
into the house.

"I wish I didn't have to take that money, but I know better than to say a
word," he said to hi