xby whose watchful eye
is upon me!" he exclaimed, "I think I will have to enter the lists as
Haight's rival, and see if I cannot win such faithful devotion upon
the right side."

"After you are gone," said Lyle, "I will soon be able to tell whether
there will be men sent out to watch you to-night; and I shall act
accordingly," she added, with a smile at Miss Gladden.

"Why, Miss Maverick, what will you do?" inquired Van Dorn, "you must
not expose yourself in any way."

"I will be in no danger," she answered smiling.

"I have no idea what Lyle intends to do," said Houston, "but I have
great confidence in her plans, for she knows this class of people
better than we, and I have found her judgment to be relied upon, on
every occasion so far."

Lyle's beautiful eyes spoke her thanks for his words of appreciation,
as she asked:

"At what hour will you have completed the examination, and be ready to
leave the mine?"

"Probably very near twelve o'clock," Houston replied, "we cannot
accomplish our work much before that time, and I do not wish to be out
much later."

"Well," said Lyle, merrily, but with a slightly mysterious air, "if
you are out at that hour, you may see the phantom horse and his
rider."

"Why, how is that?" inquired Van Dorn wonderingly, while Houston
remarked:

"If we see nothing more than phantoms, we shall be very happily
disappointed."

"All right," she responded, "if the ghost walks to-night, don't be
surprised," and hearing some one enter the dining room to make
preparations for the evening meal, she left them, and the subject of
conversation changed immediately.

A few hours later, Houston started as usual for the mines. There was
nothing out of the ordinary course of affairs in this, except that the
leave-taking between him and Leslie was unusually tender, but of this
no one knew but themselves. A little earlier, Van Dorn had left for
his customary stroll, giving Lyle an invitation to accompany him,
which she declined on the plea of being very busy. She immediately
withdrew to the kitchen, and smiled to herself presently, as she saw
Minty, with an air of great importance, starting out in the same
direction. She had been gone about half an hour, when Lyle, who was
again seated in the porch, caught sight of her moon-shaped face
peering around the corner of the house in frantic endeavors to attract
Haight's attention. As he was facing in almost an opposite direction,
her efforts were unav