All at once Dave, who was walking at Bryant's and Pat's heels up the
street, exclaimed:

"I've got that greaser's number now! We saw him once at the depot in
Kennard, Lee. He was watching you, remember?"

"I guess you're right; I recall him."

"Bet that old devil in Bartolo put him up to this." Dave asserted.

"Tut, tut, kid! Language like that on Christmas Eve! Charlie
might--but not his father, I imagine."

Dave, however, was not altogether to be suppressed.

"Well, I don't put anything past either of them," he sniffed.

CHAPTER XXI

On Christmas morning the thought occurred to Lee that he had heard
nothing more from Imogene of the plan for him to spend the day at the
McDonnells', which she had mentioned the night of their talk. Rather
strangely, too, he had not received from either of the girls even a
note of holiday greeting; to Imogene he had had sent from Denver an
edition of Ibsen's plays, and to Ruth a splendid set of furs, both in
care of Mrs. McDonnell, who had promised they should be delivered when
Santa Claus came down the chimney. Odd, the girls' silence.

He was at work on his accounts at the moment, but now he remained
biting the end of his pen-holder and staring through the window. From
somewhere in the sagebrush came the sound of shots: Dave potting tin
cans with the .22 rifle that had been Lee's gift to him. In the room
was only the snapping of the fire. Presently the telephone rang.

"Imo now," he exclaimed. "I'll be hanged if I go down and carry out
the farce before the McDonnells."

But the person proved to be Louise Graham.

"I wondered--well, several things," she said, when he had answered.
"First, if you had gone away anywhere; next, in case you hadn't,
whether you were working; and last, should the camp be resting to-day,
if you wouldn't come to Christmas dinner with father and me."

"No work's going on."

"Then we'll be delighted to have you come--and Dave also, of course.
There's an especially fattened turkey ready to slide into the oven
now. Father has just said, too, to tell you that there's going to be
something else--Tom and Jerry. How does that sound?"

"Like a man and a boy coming down the road toward Diamond Creek," Lee
answered, with a laugh. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness in
remembering us."

"I'll judge how sincere you are by the amount of turkey you eat," she
said. "Dinner will be about one o'clock."

"We shall be prompt."

Lee hung up the receiv