e news has only been half
told--the name of the new foreman of the A-Y henceforth will be The
Orphan! Whoop her up, boys!" he shouted, leading a cheer which was not
one whit less a cheer than those which had gone before.

The Orphan stared in astonishment, for once in his life he had been
surprised. The sheriff at last had the drop on him. He looked from one to
another, started to step forward and then changed his mind and looked
appealingly at Helen, who smiled in a way to double the speed of his
heart-beats.

Her eyes were moist, and the sudden consciousness that she formed half
of the objective of all eyes caused her cheeks to go crimson. Her hand
impulsively went to his shoulder and without thought on her part, and his
incredulous questioning was answered by her.

"It's all true," she said earnestly. "I've known of it for a whole week
now. You are the real foreman of the A-Y, and I most earnestly hope for
your success."

He suddenly seemed to be above the earth and his voice broke in his
stammered reply. For a fraction of a second her eyes had told him what
he had dreamed of, what he had hoped for above all things, and he grasped
her hand for a second as he stepped forward toward his new employer,
whose hand met his with a man's grasp.

"Thank you, Sheriff," he said, his head whirling from the surprises of a
minute. "You've been squarer and fairer with me than any man I've ever
known, and hell will look nice to me if I don't make good with you.

"Thank you, boys; thank you, Bill: you're all right, every one of you!"
he cried as his friends crowded about him. "What the sheriff said
about warm friends was the truth--thank you, Bud and Jim! Thank you,
Blake--you're another brick! Good God, what I have gained in two months!
I can scarcely believe it, it seems so like a dream. That's a real
warm grip, all right, though," he exclaimed as he shook hands with Humble,
"so I reckon it's all true. Two months!" he marveled. "Two glorious,
glorious months! A new start in life, a loyal crowd of friends, a--and
all in two months! And there is the man I owe it all to," he suddenly
cried, pointing to the sheriff. "There's the whitest man God ever made,
and I'll kill the man who says I lie!"

"Good boy!" shouted Bill in enthusiastic endorsement. "You two make a pair
of aces what can beat any full-house ever got together, and _I_'ll lick
the man who says _I_ lie!" he yelled pugnaciously. "The Orphant may be
an orphant, all rig