ng
above the mountaineer that it would be scarcely worth his own while,
now, even to think resentfully of this small insult.

A moment later, though, and the expression of his face had changed
completely. The first glimpse of the new come party standing, now, deep
in discussion of the railway work, before the engineer's white,
hospitable tent, made him start back in amazement.

For an instant he stood wavering, as if he were considering the plan of
trying to depart without approaching them or being seen by them, but
then he shrugged his shoulders and advanced, trying to show upon his
face surprised good-nature.

"Wall, Colonel Doolittle!" he cried. "And you, Miss Layson, and--why,
there's Barbara!"

"_Father!"_ said the girl, in absolute amazement, hurrying toward him.

"Ah, Mr. Holton!" said Miss 'Lethe, bowing to him as the Colonel,
plainly not too greatly pleased by the necessity for doing so, advanced
toward him with extended hand.

"What brings you all up here?" asked Holton, after the greetings had
been said.

"We came up to see Frank and the beauties of his long-forgotten land,"
Miss 'Lethe answered, in her softly charming voice. "He has property up
here, you know, which has been for years a family possession, but which
has been considered valueless, or almost so. When he learned that this
new railway was to pass quite close to it, he decided to investigate it
carefully and see just what it really amounted to."

Holton smiled a little wryly as she completed her explanation. "He's
stayed here, studyin' it, a long time, ain't he?"

"Yes," Miss Alathea answered. "When he once reached here he seemed to
find new beauties in the country every day. He wrote us the most glowing
letters of it, and these letters and--and--other things, decided me to
come and see him and the property he is so fond of. The Colonel was
polite enough to volunteer as escort, your daughter to come as a
companion."

Holton winked mysteriously at Colonel Doolittle. "You come at the right
time," said he. "I'll have some things to tell you of this country and
just what the railroad's going to do for it if you should care to
listen."

The Colonel's eyes, plainly those of one who read the tale of character
upon the faces of the people whom he met, looked at him with no great
favor, but he smiled. "We've already learned some things which have
astonished us," he said. Then, though, despite the fact that his remark
had greatly aroused Holt