Now
listen. I think I've about argued mother and dad around to the point
where they'll agree to let us have the use of this wild and woolly
rancho for a real outdoor adventure. How does that idea strike you?"

"Listen to the child," cried Mollie pityingly. "Such a question!"

"It would be heavenly!" raved Grace. "Think of riding around all day in
fur leggings and a sombrero. Wide hats are always becoming to me," she
added musingly.

The girls laughed and Betty threw a pillow at her, missing her by a
hair's breadth.

"You needn't worry about your hat," laughed Betty. "Reckon there won't
be anybody around there to admire you but Indians and broncho busters."

"Oh, aren't the boys coming?" Grace asked, her disappointment in her
voice.

"They haven't been asked, silly," Mollie interrupted impatiently. "Tell
me, Betty," she cried, turning to the Little Captain. "Is it really
certain that we'll have this chance?"

"No, it isn't," admitted Betty, her bright face sobering. "That's why I
don't want you to get too excited about it. You see," her voice lowered
confidentially, "dad might decide to sell it."

"Sell it!" they cried in dismay, and Grace added, with a decision that
made the girls laugh:

"Oh, he mustn't do that until the fall, anyway."

"All right, Gracie," said Betty, with a chuckle. "I'll give dad his
orders."

"But why does he want to sell it, Betty?" Amy questioned.

"We-el," said the Little Captain slowly. "You see mother has already
received an offer of fifteen thousand dollars for it. There's a ranchman
out there, I think his name is John Josephs, or some such name, who
seems to want to get hold of our ranch. So his lawyers have offered
mother fifteen thousand for it."

"That's a pretty good lot of money," said Amy thoughtfully.

"Yes, it is," agreed Betty. "And dad seems to think that the best thing
mother could do would be to take the money and get rid of the ranch. He
says it will be a sort of white elephant on our hands, since there isn't
very much chance of our going out there to live," she ended, with a
chuckle.

"Well," said Grace, with an injured air, "I don't see why you called us
all over here just to disappoint us. If your father is going to sell the
place, then we certainly sha'n't be able to make ourselves beautiful
with bandannas and picturesque hats----"

"Ah, but you did not let me finish," hissed Betty, melodramatically. "We
have one ally--my mother."

"Your mother!" cried