ldin's. Wait till you've gone over the
place. An' we sure have been lucky with everythin'. I'll say you're a
mascot."

"I've still got my lucky piece," she said and pulled out of her neck,
suspended by the fine chain of gold, the gold piece with which Sandy had
won the stake that had started her east. "Now show me all the
improvements. We'll get Kate Nicholson. She's a first-class scout if you
ever get her out of the shell she crawled into a long time ago when her
folks suddenly lost everything they had. If we had a piano, Sam, she'd
play the soul out of your body. Wait until she gets at the harmonium
to-night. You and she will have to play duets, Sam, you on the
three-decked harmonica I got for you."

"Aw, shucks!" protested Sam? "I'm no musician."

"You are," she said gaily. "You are my Three Wise Men of the West. You
are all magicians. You took me out of the desert, you have made life
beautiful for me. Don't dispel the illusion, Soda-Water Sam. I'd rather
hear you play _El Capitan_ than listen to the Philharmonic Orchestra."

"Whatever that is," answered Sam.

Molly's words were light but her eyes were frankly wet now and so were
those of the three men.

"Come, Grit," she said, and the dog bounded to her, licking her hand,
and so to the rest of them cementing the alliance in his own way.

"Some day!" speculated Mormon as they went to the ranch-house. He got a
good deal into those two words, for all three of them.

CHAPTER XVII

WESTLAKE BRINGS NEWS

In the week that followed the partners of the Three Star managed to find
many hours for holiday-making. The ranch ran well on its own routine,
and Molly was a princess to be entertained. Kate Nicholson emerged from
her chrysalis and became almost a butterfly rather than the pale gray
moth they had fancied her. Even Miranda revised her opinion. The
Nicholsons, it came out, had been a family of some consequence and a
fair degree of riches in South Carolina before an unfortunate
speculation had taken everything. Kate Nicholson, left alone soon
afterward, had assumed the role of governess or companion with more or
less success and drifted on, submerged in the families who had used her
services until Keith had secured her for the post with Molly when things
had seemed particularly black. Now, riding with Molly, with Sam and
Sandy for escorts, over the open range or up into the canyons, on
picnics, the years slid off from her. She acquired color with the
ca