skirts. Every Sunday morning, and
when they had visitors, she was required to don the true habiliments of
her sex; but her joy at his return had left no room for thoughts of
dress and she found herself in the overalls of a boy. So she stepped
behind her mother and as Wunpost observed her blushes he addressed his
remarks to Mrs. Campbell.

"Glad to meet you," he exclaimed with a gallantry quite surprising in a
man who could not even spell "one." "I hope you'll excuse my few words
with Mr. Rhodes. It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of
meeting ladies and I forgot myself for the moment. I met your daughter
yesterday--good morning, Miss Wilhelmina--and I formed a high opinion of
you both; because a young lady of her breeding must have a mother to be
proud of, and she certainly showed she was game. She saved my life with
that water and lunch, and then she loaned me her mule!"

He paused and Dusty Rhodes brought his bushy eyebrows down and stabbed
him to the heart with his stare.

"Lemme look at that rock!" he demanded importantly and John C. Calhoun
returned his glare.

"Mr. Rhodes," he said, "after the way you have treated me I don't feel
that I owe you any courtesies. You have seen the rock once and that's
enough. Please excuse me, I was talking with these ladies."

"Aw, you can't fool me," burst out Dusty Rhodes vindictively, "you ain't
sech a winner as you think. I've jest give Mrs. Campbell a bird's-eye
view of your career, so you're coppered on that bet from the start."

"What do you mean?" demanded Wunpost drawing himself up arrogantly while
his beetle-browed eyes flashed fire; but the challenge in his voice did
not ring absolutely true and Dusty Rhodes grinned at him wickedly.

"You'd better learn to spell Wunpost," he said with a hectoring laugh,
"before you put on any more dog with the ladies. But I asked you for
that rock and I intend to git a look at it--I claim an interest in
anything you've found."

"Oh, you do, eh?" returned Wunpost, now suddenly calm. "Well, let me
tell you something, Mr. Rhodes. You wasn't in my company when I found
this chunk of rock, so you haven't got any interest--see? But rather
than have an argument in the presence of these ladies I'll show you the
quartz again."

He drew out the piece of rock and handed it to Rhodes who stared at it
with sun-blinded eyes--then suddenly he whipped out a case and focussed
a pair of magnifying glasses meanwhile mumbling to himself