which the men reached the spot.
Last night, or this morning, before daybreak, a man with a heavy dark
mustache came to see me. I had not undressed, and he made me get up, so
he could look me over. After some minutes, he cried, 'I swear she is
handsomer than the queen!' Then he told me how he had seen me in Carson,
and had mistaken me, at first, for some one else. How he found out his
mistake, when he received a message from the other, who had been away to
the east. How he vowed to know me better, and how, when he found our
party were going to visit the lake, he sent word to friends of his to
kidnap me. The monster! Then he tried to make love to me. I repulsed
him, and he went away in an angry mood, swearing he would come back. He
did so, in the morning, and once more tried to make love to me. I was
filled with terror, and, clutching the big umbrella, I rushed out of the
cabin. When he followed, I opened the umbrella and jumped from the
cliff."

"You did not meet me in Reno, as you agreed," said Bart.

"Because father got hold of your letter, and he watched me constantly. I
could not."

The other girl suddenly sat up. Her eyes had been wide open for some
moments, and she had heard the whole of the story from the lips of her
double, at whom she now stared, her face working strangely.

"So he made love to you--the traitor!" she cried, passionately. "Said
you were prettier than I! I saw he had begun to tire of me! He would not
let me see you; now I know why. You are a fine half-sister to steal my
husband!"

"Half-sister!" gasped the other girl, shrinking back. "What do you
mean?"

"Don't you know. Why, we are half-sisters. You are two years the older,
although you do not look so. You do not remember your mother, for she
left you when you were a baby. Your father must have kept the story from
you. Mother told me everything. Your father has been forced to pay well
to have the secret kept. He was proud, and his pride has been
expensive."

Vida seemed dazed.

"I can scarcely believe it," she murmured.

Isa laughed rather harshly.

"I don't suppose it makes you feel any happier to know you have such a
sister. What do I care! You robbed me of my happiness, for you made Paul
fall in love with you."

"I repulsed him as best I could. He is repugnant to me."

"Well, I suppose you tell the truth. I was longing to strangle you till
I heard your story. I shall not molest you now. Where is Paul? Where are
the men?"

"