With
the sunlight flinging its gold and riches upon her, what a marvel of
color she presented!--such creamy white and changing rose-tints in her
cheeks--such a wonderful brown in her hair and eyes--such crimson of
lips that parted in a smile over even little jewels of teeth! And she
smiled on the horseman, tall, and active, coming to find her on the
hill.

"Good morning!" she cried. "Oh, isn't it wonderful--so big, and bare,
and _clean_!"

Van smiled.

"It's a hungry-looking country to me--looks as if it has eaten all the
trees. If it makes you think of breakfast, or just plain coffee and
rolls, I've found a place I hope you'll like, with a friend I didn't
know was here."

"You are very kind, I'm sure," she said. "I'm afraid we're a great
deal of trouble."

"That's what women were made for," he answered her frankly, a bright,
dancing light in his eyes. "They couldn't help it if they would, and I
guess they wouldn't if they could."

"Oh, indeed?" She shot him a quick glance, half a challenge. "I
_guess_ if you don't mind we won't go to the place you've found, for
breakfast, this morning."

"You'd better guess again," he answered, and taking her arm, in a
masterful way that bereft her of the power of speech or resistance, he
marched her briskly down the slope and straight towards Mrs. Dick's.

"Thank your stars you've struck a place like this," he said. "If you
don't I'll have to thank them for you."

"Perhaps I ought to thank you first," she ventured smilingly. It would
have seemed absurd to resent his boyish ways.

"You may," he said, "when I get to be one of your stars."

"Oh, really? Why defer mere thanks _indefinitely_?"

"It won't be indefinitely, and besides, thanks will keep--and breakfast
won't."

He entered the house, with Beth and her maid humbly trailing at his
heels. Mrs. Dick came bustling from the kitchen like a busy little
ant. Van introduced his charges briefly. Mrs. Dick shook hands with
them both.

"Well!" she said, "I like you after all! And it's lucky I do, for if I
didn't I don't know's I should take you or not, even if Van did say I
had to."

Van took her by the shoulders and shook her boyishly.

"You'd take a stick of dynamite and a house afire, both in one hand, if
I said so," he announced. "Now don't get hostile."

"Well--I s'pose I would," agreed Mrs. Dick. She added to Beth: "Ain't
he the dickens and all? Just regular brute strength. Come right
upsta