head ring for the remainder of the day and
thereby took all the flavor from the thrills he had found in "Deep
Blood Gulch."

CHAPTER IV.

SMILES AND TEARS.

"Now there is no use in your arguing, Sadie--I love him and I have
given him my promise."

The two cousins were alone again speeding up Fifth avenue in an
automobile, a long-bodied foreign car that had been put at the
disposal of Mrs. Burton by the New York agent of Mr. Hogg. The Omaha
suitor for the hand of the fair Helen had also thrown in a red-headed
French chauffeur, which is travelling a bit in the matter of
chauffeurs. But as he understood only automobile English it was a
delightful arrangement for Helen and Sadie, and permitted them
absolute freedom of speech while riding behind him.

"If I had only known him longer, or had been introduced to him
differently," sighed Sadie.

"But haven't I known all about him for years?" protested Helen Burton.
"Of course, we were only school girls when he made that wonderful
rescue at Narragansett Pier. Don't you remember how we rushed down to
the beach to see him, but got there just too late? He had gone out to
his yacht or something. Oh, it was just splendid, Sadie. And he is so
wonderfully modest about it. Why, when I reminded him of his heroism
he pretended to have forgotten all about it. Just imagine Mr. Hogg
forgetting a thing like that! Do you know what Jabez Hogg would do
under similar circumstances, Sadie Burton? Well, I'll tell you--he'd
hire the biggest hall in Omaha and reproduce the whole thing with
moving pictures as an advertisement for his beef canneries."

The young girl had worked herself into a passion and was making savage
little gestures with her clenched fists.

"But what I can't understand, Helen dear, is why a man like Travers
Gladwin should make such a mystery of himself and try to avoid
introducing you to his friends. I am sure," persisted Sadie, despite
the gathering anger in her companion's eyes, "that Aunt Elvira would
not object to him. You know she is just crazy to break into the swim
here in New York, and the Gladwins are the very best of people. I
think it wouldn't take much to urge her even to throw over Mr. Hogg
for Gladwin, if you'd only let her take charge of the wedding."

"Nothing of the sort," denied Helen hotly. "Aunt Elvira is bound on
her solemn word of honor to Mr. Hogg. She will fight for him to the
last ditch, though she knows I hate him."

"Don't you thin