ion that with all
her idiosyncrasies she was at heart what she liked to be considered, "a
rough diamond," sympathetic and kind of heart underneath her blunt
candor. That she had never been known to refuse a drink to the knowledge
of any inhabitant was one of the stock jokes of the town, yet it was
never urged against her. Already she had come to be pointed out to
strangers with a kind of affectionate pride as a local celebrity--a
"character." She had a strong attraction for the women of Crowheart--an
attraction that amounted to fascination. Her stronger personality
overshadowed theirs as her stronger will dominated them. She quickly
became a leader among them, and her leadership aroused no jealousy. They
quoted her rude speeches as characteristic bits of wit and laughed at
her uncouth manners. Her callousness passed for the confidence of
knowledge.

"She's so different," they told each other. "She's a law unto herself."
Yet the most timid among them had less fear of Public Opinion than Dr.
Harpe to whom it was always a menacing juggernaut.

She returned at the end of the day tired but content in the knowledge
that her efforts had produced exactly the effect she desired. She had
raised enough money to insure the erection of a modest mission church,
but the important thing was that in so doing she had built a stout
bulwark about herself which would long withstand any explanation that
Essie Tisdale might make as to the cause of the mysterious break between
them.

While she congratulated herself upon the success of this inspired move
on her part, circumstances due to other than her own efforts were
conspiring to eliminate the girl as a dangerous factor in her life.

She retired early and, consequently, was in ignorance of the receipt of
a telegram by Sylvanus Starr announcing the return of Andy P. Symes and
the complete success of his eastern mission. So when she was awakened
the next morning by a conflict of sounds which resembled the efforts of
a Chinese orchestra and raised the shade to see the newly organized
Cowboy band making superhuman endeavors to march and yet produce a
sufficiently correct number of notes from the score of "A Hot Time in
the Old Town" to make that American warcry recognizable, she knew that
something unusual had developed in the interim of her long sleep.

It was like Andy P. Symes to announce his coming that he might extract
all the glory possible from his arrival and he knew that he could d