inden comes to see me every once in a while. You'll be
much more apt to find him at the ranch than here."

"Here I must stay," reiterated the unwelcome guest, with a sudden quaver
in her voice that made Roger say hastily:

"Oh, very well! Mrs. von Minden. If you'll show me which is your tent
pack, I'll try to make you comfortable."

"I'll stay and help," said Charley.

"So will I," cried Felicia. "I'd love to unpack the burros. All the
bundles are so knobby. Are there any doll dishes there, Mrs. von
Minden?"

As if she saw the child for the first time, Mrs. von Minden gazed at her
in astonishment. "Why, my dear, how much you look like your sister! No,
there are no doll dishes there, I'm sorry to say. Come, children!" and
her pink robe blowing she led the way to the patient burros.

"Isn't this fun?" whispered Charley to Roger.

"Maybe! But how'll I explain to Ernest?"

The mere thought of this sent Charley off into a gale of laughter that
caused Mrs. von Minden to ask sharply:

"What is so funny?"

"I'm just laughing at what Mr. Moore's partner and my brother will say
when they get in some time to-night and find a lady established here,"
answered Charley frankly.

The visitor smiled grimly and set about her unpacking. The particularly
knobby bundle which had fascinated Felicia proved to be a rocking chair,
enwrapped by the canvas tent. There was a compact little cooking outfit,
several large books on Occultism, an air mattress, two pink quilts, a
pink pillow and a suitcase of clothing. One burro was loaded with
provisions, consisting of olive oil, sugar, coffee, flour and canned
cheese.

Roger knocked together a crude tent frame and stretched the tent over
it, Mrs. von Minden directing while Charley and Felicia tugged with him.
The guest refused to allow Roger to make a bunk for her. The Yogis, it
seemed, had told her to sleep on the ground. When the mattress and
rocking chair and a box for a table had been established in the tent
Madam expressed herself as satisfied.

"You may rest now, children," she said, "while I concentrate."

"By the way," suggested Roger. "How about the burros? With all the good
will in the world, I can't feed them, for I have no fodder."

"You have a ranch, Miss Preble," said Mrs. von Minden. "I will pay you
for boarding them. What is the charge?"

"My brother will take care of that on his return," answered Charley.
"We'll lead them up when we go home."

"You're not going y