no matter."

"Men change their names," replied Wade.

"Stranger, air you packin' through or goin' to stay?"

"On my way to White Slides Ranch, where I'm goin' to work for
Belllounds. Do you know him?"

"Know Belllounds? Me? Wal, he's the best friend I ever had when I was at
Kremmlin'. I lived there several years. My husband had stock there. In
fact, Bill started us in the cattle business. But we got out of there
an' come here, where Bob died, an' I've been stuck ever since."

"Everybody has a good word for Belllounds," observed Wade.

"You'll never hear a bad one," replied the woman, with cheerful warmth.
"Bill never had but one fault, an' people loved him fer thet."

"What was it?"

"He's got a wild boy thet he thinks the sun rises an' sets in. Buster
Jack, they call him. He used to come here often. But Bill sent him away
somewhere. The boy was spoiled. I saw his mother years ago--she's dead
this long time--an' she was no wife fer Bill Belllounds. Jack took after
her. An' Bill was thet woman's slave. When she died all his big heart
went to the son, an' thet accounts. Jack will never be any good."

Wade thoughtfully nodded his head, as if he understood, and was
pondering other possibilities.

"Is he the only child?"

"There's a girl, but she's not Bill's kin. He adopted her when she was a
baby. An' Jack's mother hated this child--jealous, we used to think,
because it might grow up an' get some of Bill's money.'

"What's the girl's name?" asked Wade.

"Columbine. She was over here last summer with Old Bill. They stayed
with me. It was then Bill had hard words with Smith across the street.
Bill was resentin' somethin' Smith put in my way. Wal, the lass's the
prettiest I ever seen in Colorado, an' as good as she's pretty. Old Bill
hinted to me he'd likely make a match between her an' his son Jack. An'
I ups an' told him, if Jack hadn't turned over a new leaf when he comes
home, thet such a marriage would be tough on Columbine. Whew, but Old
Bill was mad. He jest can't stand a word ag'in' thet Buster Jack."

"Columbine Belllounds," mused Wade. "Queer name."

"Oh, I've knowed three girls named Columbine. Don't you know the flower?
It's common in these parts. Very delicate, like a sago lily,
only paler."

"Were you livin' in Kremmlin' when Belllounds adopted the girl?" asked
Wade.

"Laws no!" was the reply. "Thet was long before I come to Middle Park.
But I heerd all about it. The baby was found by gold-