y dropped behind to give him
his place. It seemed but a second more before they were surrounded with
eager people all talking at once, and Hazel, distressed that her brother
gave so little attention to the man who had saved her, sought thrice to
make some sort of an introduction, but the brother was too much taken up
with excitement, and with scolding his sister for having gotten herself
lost, to take it in.

Then out came the father, who, it appeared, had been up two nights on
the search, and had been taking a brief nap. His face was pale and
haggard. Brownleigh liked the look of his eyes as he caught sight of
his daughter, and his face lighted as he saw her spring into his arms,
crying: "Daddy! Daddy! I'm so sorry I frightened you!"

Behind him, tall and disapproving, with an I-told-you-so in her eye,
stood Aunt Maria.

"Headstrong girl," she murmured severely. "You have given us all two
terrible days!" and she pecked Hazel's cheek stiffly. But no one heard
her in the excitement.

Behind Aunt Maria Hazel's maid wrung her hands and wept in a kind of
hysterical joy over her mistress' return, and back of her in the gloom
of the car vestibule loomed the dark countenance of Hamar with an angry,
red mark across one cheek. He did not look particularly anxious to be
there. The missionary turned from his evil face with repulsion.

In the confusion and delight over the return of the lost one the man of
the desert prepared to slip away, but just as he was about to mount his
pony Hazel turned and saw him.

"Daddy, come over here and speak to the man who found me and brought me
safely back again," she said, dragging her father eagerly across the
platform to where the missionary stood.

The father came readily enough and Hazel talked rapidly, her eyes
shining, her cheeks like twin roses, telling in a breath of the horrors
and darkness and rescue, and the thoughtfulness of her stranger-rescuer.

Mr. Radcliffe came forward with outstretched hand to greet him, and the
missionary took off his hat and stood with easy grace to shake hands. He
was not conscious then of the fire of eyes upon him, cold society stares
from Aunt Maria, Hamar and young Radcliffe, as if to say, How dared he
presume to expect recognition for doing what was a simple duty! He noted
only the genuine heartiness in the face of the father as he thanked him
for what he had done. Then, like the practical man of the world that he
was, Mr. Radcliffe reached his h