ome up and have a chair?"

Bob accepted the invitation, not that he intended to mention his
business to her, but he had a notion that Jim Crill was due to arrive
about lunch time.

"Are you from the East?" That was Mrs. Barnett's idea of tactful
flattery. She asked it of all callers.

"Yes."

"What part, may I ask?"

"All parts," he smiled, "east of here and west of the Mississippi."

"It is so different here," Mrs. Barnett lifted her brows and raised her
eyes as though she were singing "The Lost Chord," "from what I am used
to."

"Yes," assented Bob, "it is different from what I am used to. That is
why I like it."

"Oh, do you?" Shocked disappointment in her tone implied that it was
too bad he was not a kindred spirit. "I find everything so crude; and
such loose standards here." A regretful shake of the head. "The women
especially"--she thought of her tact again--"seem to have forgotten all
the formalities and nice conventions of good society--if they ever
knew. I suppose most of them were hired girls and clerks before they
were married."

[Illustration: Reedy Jenkins makes a proposition to Imogene.]

Bob made no comment. He did not know much about "nice formalities,"
but it had struck him that the women of Imperial Valley were uncommonly
good, friendly human beings, and he had seen a number of college
diplomas scattered round the valley.

"I heard of a woman recently," Mrs. Barnett went on, "who in the East
was in college circles; now she's living in a hut. Think of it, a hut
over on the other side among the Chinese and Mexicans! The only woman
there, and practically alone. It seems perfectly incredible! I don't
see how any decent woman could do a thing like that. Why, I'd rather
work in somebody's kitchen. There, at least, one could be respectable."

Bob got up.

"I guess I'll not wait longer for Mr. Crill," he said, and he went down
the steps, walking with rapid aversion. If Jim Crill left his business
to this female, he didn't want any of his money for the Chandlers.

The ginning company had agreed to lend Bob up to $1,500 on the crop,
advancing it along as he needed it. He was renting his teams, and had
bought very little machinery, so he had managed to use less than his
estimate. On his way back to the ranch he stopped at the company's
office in Calexico, and drew two hundred dollars more on the loan.

A few days later Rogeen, watching his opportunity, saw Chandler riding
alo