s. Brewer. "I been thinkin'
fer a long time as how she were too far 'long in years to be alone in
the shanty."

"Well," said Sandy. "I'm glad to hear it."

"What air ye doin' down here, Sandy?" inquired Mrs. Brewer.

"Me? oh, me!" He paused to choose his words. "I got some news for you
folks. I air goin' to get married."

"Air that why ye're all togged up?" Jake queried. "Gosh, but ye air some
beau, Sandy.... Ain't he, ma?"

"Yep, I air on my way to get my girl. I been waitin' over three years
for this here day, an' now--I air got flowers in this bundle."

"Who ye goin' to marry, Sandy?" demanded Mrs. Brewer.

Letts grinned again, straightened his shoulders pompously, and lined his
feet together on a crack in the floor.

"Tess Skinner," he answered, looking from the man to the woman.

Mrs. Brewer dropped on a stool, and her husband's jaws fell apart in
astonishment.

"Tess Skinner?" he repeated dully. "Pretty little Tess Skinner?"

"Well, I swan!" gasped the squatter woman. "Did she say she'd have ye,
Sandy?"

"Well, it air like this. I been askin' 'er to marry me ever since she
were sixteen year old, but she wouldn't while her daddy were alive. Then
once she says to me, 'Sandy, you go git Andy Bishop an' git that five
thousand, an' come back here.' Now I got the cash. I air a goin' to git
the girl."

"Mebbe she's foolin' ye," suggested Brewer. "Ye see, she had the dwarf
the hull time! Looks to me as if she'd put one over on ye."

"She'd better not try anythin' on me," returned Letts, snapping his
teeth.

"I heard 'er tell ye once," put in Brewer, "she wouldn't marry ye ...
the day ye shot yer leg up."

Sandy cocked the new hat on the side of his head, picked up his bundle,
and went to the open door.

"I'd a had 'er afore now if ye'd kept yer hands to hum, Jake," he
stated. "But I ain't holdin' up anythin' against ye for what ye done.
Now I got money, Tess'll be all the gladder. I air goin' to take 'er
over to Seneca Lake. I got a job on there. Good-bye, folks. Mebbe me an'
my woman'll drop in an' see ye some day."

The husband and wife watched the big squatter going down the rock path,
the tissue-wrapped flowers in his hand, then looked at each other and
laughed in perfect comprehension.

"I wonder if he gets 'er," chuckled Mrs. Brewer.

"I'll bet a bullhead he don't," grinned Jake.

* * * * *

Sandy Letts wasn't anxious to meet Deforrest Young, but just how t