her friend. For reply she gave me a pitying glance,
saying, "Oh, you boys know so little about a girl! You see that Teddy
chooses Frances for his Queen to-night, and leave the rest to me."

On reaching their picnic camp, I excused myself, promising to meet them
later at the dance, and rode for our ambulance. Tiburcio had supper all
ready, and after it was over I called Theodore to one side and repeated
Esther's message. Quayle was still doubtful, and I called Miss Jean to
my assistance, hoping to convince him that Miss Vaux was not unfriendly
towards him. "You always want to judge a woman by contraries," said Miss
Jean, seating herself on the log beside us. "When it comes to acting her
part, always depend on a girl to conceal her true feelings, especially
if she has tact. Now, from what you boys say, my judgment is that she'd
cry her eyes out if any other girl was chosen Queen."

Uncle Lance had promised Mr. Wilson to take supper with his family, and
as we were all sprucing up for the dance, he returned. He had not been
present at the finals of the lancing contest, but from guests of the
Wilsons' had learned that one of his boys had won the honors. So on
riding into camp, as the finishing touches were being added to our
rustic toilets, he accosted Quayle and said: "Well, Theo, they tell me
that you won the elephant. Great Scott, boy, that's the best luck that
has struck Las Palomas since the big rain a year ago this month! Of
course, we all understand that you're to choose the oldest Vaux girl.
What's that? You don't know? Well, I do. I've had that all planned out,
in case you won, ever since we decided that you was to contest as the
representative of Las Palomas. And now you want to balk, do you?"

Uncle Lance was showing some spirit, but his sister checked him with
this explanation: "Just because Miss Frances didn't show any enthusiasm
over Theo winning, he and Tom somehow have got the idea in their minds
that she don't care a rap to be chosen Queen. I've tried to explain it
to them, but the boys don't understand girls, that's all. Why, if Theo
was to choose any other girl, she'd set the river afire."

"That's it, is it?" snorted Uncle Lance, pulling his gray mustaches.
"Well, I've known for some time that Tom didn't have good sense, but I
have always given you, Theo, credit for having a little. I'll gamble my
all that what Jean says is Bible truth. Didn't I have my eye on you and
that girl for nearly a week during