them to suspect. She nearly wept as
she begged that Elsa be permitted to stay with them and went over the
living tent and the cook tent with a critical eye. When the cloud of
dust appeared upon the horizon Roger saw her whiten under her tan.

"Suppose she doesn't like me," she exclaimed suddenly to the three men.
"Suppose she finds me rough and stupid after all these years of
hardship. Oh, what would I do! The first woman after so long!"

"Well," Dick's voice was angry, "if she doesn't like you she's a fool,
that's all."

Tears had sprung to Gustav's eyes. "She vill love you on sight," he said
slowly.

"You wait!" cried Roger. "You two girls were made to be friends."

Charley gave a nervous glance at her khaki clothing. The men did not
know that the day before she had routed out a white frock, the remnant
of her college days and after much debate with herself, had rejected it.
It was of a bygone date and fashion. It had been worn by a
happy-go-lucky college girl, who had little in common with the mature,
sunburned, wind-blown woman who looked back at Charley from the mirror.

The horses plodded slowly through the sand. Dick pulled up before the
living tent.

"She's come! Here she is!" shouted Ernest, as if the watching group in
the burning western sun could doubt its eyes. Roger lifted Elsa down
from the wheel.

"Never knew I could be so glad to see you, Elsa," he said. "And you're
prettier than ever even if your nose is peeling. Look! Here's Charley
Preble and Felicia and Dick and Gustav."

Elsa, freshly burned, but with her silk traveling suit smart in spite of
the dust, shook hands all round.

She turned back from Gustav to Charley again, and looked at her with
frank interest. "You know, Ernest never told me what to wear, so I
didn't bring a bit of khaki. Wasn't I foolish? It looks just right down
here."

"I've some extra skirts you can wear till you can send back for some,"
said Charley. "Let's go into the living tent out of this heat while the
boys unload."

They went alone, for Felicia, after standing in an agony of indecision
for a moment or two, decided in favor of the tantalizing packages in the
wagon box. The girls were not in the tent long. When they came out, they
had their arms about each other.

"Elsa's going up to the house with me and get a bath and change her
clothes. We'll be down for supper," said Charley.

There was a flush of happiness on her face that made Dick say, "I hope
you s