aid at length.

"But----"

"There ain't any use my explaining; you wouldn't get me," she went on,
impatiently. "But here's something even you can understand. I'd look nice
opening the boss's mail, wouldn't I? Now you've read the worst of it you
might as well dip into it far enough to find out just when she's coming.
Somebody'll have to drive over to Conejo for her as long as the machine's
busted."

"I've read all I'm going to," said Scott, doggedly. "You can do the
finding out."

Mrs. Van Zandt grunted, arranged a pair of eyeglasses which sat uneasily
on a nose ill adapted to them, and glanced at the letter. She gave a sigh
of relief.

"She says she's going straight to the Morgans' when she gets to Conejo.
Bob's told her about them. Prob'ly Morgan'll run her over in his car. She
ain't very definite about time; don't seem to know just how long she'll be
detained at the border."

"Unless they're all fools up there she'll be detained some time," said
Scott, disgustedly. "Well, I'll go and get the Morgans on the wire and see
if they've seen anything of her," and he strode away toward the office.

Mrs. Van Zandt sat watching him as he swung down the street. The sun's
gilding had faded from the mountains and it was growing dark. Here and
there a star peeped out as though to commiserate Athens upon its
loneliness.

"It is lonely," Mrs. Van said to herself. "I don't know as I ever felt it
so much before. I hope it don't mean that we're going to have trouble.
Sometimes I think I must be psychic--I seem to sense things so. Wish that
girl had stayed at home, but, Lord, I'd of done the same thing at her age.
That's a youngster's first idea when things go wrong--to run away. As
though you could run away from things!"

The lady shook her head pessimistically and drew her sweater more closely
about her as the air grew chillier. A short plump figure with a shawl
wrapped around its head came out from the back of the house and melted
into the darkness.

"Is that you, Dolores?"

"Si. The deeshes all feenish," said Dolores, promptly.

"Did you wash out the dish towels?"

"Si. All done. I go to bed." Dolores disappeared.

"You're a liar," breathed Mrs. Van, softly. "You ain't goin' to bed,
you're goin' to set and spoon with that good-looking cousin of yours.
Well, go to it. You're only young once and this country'd drive a woman to
most anything." Her eyes twinkled humorously. When Mrs. Van's eyes
twinkled you forgot that