nything special," Jack replied quietly. "I am
just killing time."

But Jean knew that her cousin was searching once more for the lost title
deed to Rainbow Ranch and she had gone to the window to gaze out on the
snow with the thought of Olive on her mind. Even light-hearted Jean
sighed. It was only a few days before Christmas.

Jack was getting up off the floor, when a sound startled her. She jumped
quickly to her feet. Old Shep gave a long howl.

"What is the matter with you, Jacqueline Ralston?" Jean demanded
pettishly, partly because she had just been so sorry for Jack. "You
almost scared me out of my wits."

Jack was pointing toward the window. "I heard a noise outside in the
snow," she exclaimed excitedly.

"You did no such thing, Jack, it's only the wind howling. It has been
making a racket for the last four hours. I don't see why you are so
surprised all of a sudden. I heard nothing unusual," Jean protested.

"But it wasn't the wind I heard, Jean. This noise was quite different.
Shep heard it too, see how queerly he is acting," Jack argued.

Old Shep had gone to the front door of the ranch house and was stretched
against it with his fore paws resting on the door.

"Well, if you didn't hear the wind, it is some animal that has seen the
lights in the Lodge and stolen near here for protection. Do sit down,
Jack, you make me dreadfully nervous, staring like that. You know you
haven't heard the sound a second time. Let's go to bed."

Jean slipped her arm about Jack's waist, but Jack pushed her gently off.
"I am going out in the snow to find out what that cry meant, Jean," Jack
announced decisively. "Suppose it was an animal, I can't allow anything
to die just outside our home to-night."

Jean clung to her cousin's skirts. "You shan't go out that door, Jack,"
Jean avowed. "You will be blown off your feet by the wind. You will be
frozen. If a wild animal has come out of the woods for shelter, you'll
be torn to pieces." Jean pictured every horrible fate that she could
imagine overtaking Jacqueline. But Jack was quickly buttoning up her
overcoat and tying a thick woolen scarf about her head.

"I won't stay out but a minute, Jean dear," she returned. "Shep will go
with me. He will keep me from getting hurt."

"I'll call Cousin Ruth, Jack, you are the most obstinate person in the
world!" Jean exclaimed passionately, but Jack had wrenched open the big
front door of the ranch house, and plunged out into the night