of twelve; there was a profile
of herself done by a traveling artist; there were pretty little china
ornaments and many flowers, notably a faded but still scented woodland
shrub which Barker had presented to her two weeks ago, and over which
Miss Kitty had discreetly thrown her white handkerchief as he entered. A
wave of hope passed over him at the act, but it was quickly spent as Mr.
Carter's roughly playful voice introduced him:

"Ye kin give Mr. Barker a tune or two to pass time afore lunch, Kitty.
You kin let him see what you're doing in that line. But you'll have to
sit up now, for this young man's come inter some property, and will
be sasheying round in 'Frisco afore long with a biled shirt and a
stovepipe, and be givin' the go-by to Boomville. Well! you young folks
will excuse me for a while, as I reckon I'll just toddle over and get
the recorder to put that bill o' sale on record. Nothin' like squaring
things to onct, Mr. Barker."

As he slipped away, Barker felt his heart sink. Carter had not only
bluntly forestalled him with the news and taken away his excuse for a
confidential interview, but had put an ostentatious construction on his
visit. What could she think of him now? He stood ashamed and embarrassed
before her.

But Miss Kitty, far from noticing his embarrassment in a sudden concern
regarding the "horrid" untidiness of the room, which made her cheeks
quite pink in one spot and obliged her to take up and set down in
exactly the same place several articles, was exceedingly delighted. In
fact, she did not remember ever having been so pleased before in her
life! These things were always so unexpected! Just like the weather, for
instance. It was quite cool last night--and now it was just stifling.
And so dusty! Had Mr. Barker noticed the heat coming from the Gulch? Or
perhaps, being a rich man, he--with a dazzling smile--was above walking
now. It was so kind of him to come here first and tell her father.

"I really wanted to tell only--YOU, Miss Carter," stammered Barker. "You
see--" he hesitated. But Miss Kitty saw perfectly. He wanted to tell
HER, and, seeing her, he asked for HER FATHER! Not that it made the
slightest difference to her, for her father would have been sure to
have told her. It was also kind of her father to invite him to luncheon.
Otherwise she might not have seen him before he left Boomville.

But this was more than Barker could stand. With the same desperate
directness and simplic