hat to do for him and promised to
send up a lotion with which to bathe the injured foot, although he
gently warned her that she must not hope that Little Hawss would ever do
much racing up and down the mountain trails again. She choked, when he
said this, and the horseman's heart went out to her.

"Little one," said the Colonel, as the party was preparing to go down
the mountain, "you're a thoroughbred, and Colonel Sandusky Doolittle is
your friend from the word 'go.'" He took her hand in his and smiled down
into her eyes.

Then, turning to Miss 'Lethe: "Do you know, Miss 'Lethe, there's
something about this little girl that puts me in mind of you, when I
first met you? You remember?"

"Ah, Colonel, that was twenty years ago--the day I was eighteen."

"And I was twenty-five. Now I'm forty-five and you--"

"Colonel!"

"Are still eighteen.' He bowed, impressively, with that charming,
gallant smile which was peculiar to him.

"Aren't you going down with us, Frank?" asked Barbara, looking at the
youth with plain surprise when she noted that he lingered when she and
her father were ready for the start.

"I wish to speak to Madge, a moment. I'll overtake you."

The bluegrass beauty looked at him, wrath blazing in her eyes, then
turned away with tossing head.

"Good-bye," said Madge, and held her hand out to her.

Barbara paid no attention to the small, brown hand, but, instead, opened
her parasol almost in the face of the astonished mountain-girl, who
jumped back, startled. "Oh, very well," said Barbara to Frank.

Madge turned to him, the softness of the mood engendered by her talk
with the Colonel and Miss 'Lethe all gone, now. Her face was flushed
with anger. "Dellaw!" said she. "Thought she was goin' to shoot!"

Now Barbara spoke haughtily. "Good afternoon, Miss Madge. You have
entertained us wonderfully, wonderfully."

CHAPTER X

It was late on an afternoon several days after the party from the
bluegrass had gone down from the mountains when Layson, with a letter of
great import in his pocket sought Madge Brierly.

He was very happy, as, a short time before he reached her isolated
cabin, he stepped out to the edge of that same ledge where Horace Holton
had found the view too full of memories for comfort, to look off across
the lovely valley spread before, below him. There were no memories of
struggle and bloodshed to arise between him and that view and for a time
he gloried in it with that boun