hat falsehood, I'll clinch it, if I live. If I
don't--laws, dearie, I'm in the same poor box myself. There's them
that believe me a--you know the word. Even your mother----"

"No, Ephraim! She never believed you anything but the splendid man you
are."

"Last night, no shooting, and----"

"It was nothing. She was tired. Aunt Sally always tires her, at first,
good as she is and much as we love her. Mother is so quiet and gentle
herself----"

"I understand, darlin'."

"Ephraim, she must never know that dreadful thing the stranger said."

"Captain, she'll have to know."

"She must not, I tell you! What am I for but to take care of and love
her? Ned--but Ned's only a little boy----"

"And you, my Jessie, are but a few years older than he."

"I'm older than you, I believe! Is it only two days since I met that
man in the canyon and things began to happen? It seems forever. As if
I'd only lived these forty-eight hours, and all that went before was
a dream."

Ephraim stepped aside and regarded her shrewdly.

"Old words to come from so young a mouth, Lady Captain. Have you had
any breakfast?"

"No. I don't want any. Have you?"

"No. But I'm going to have. As a rule, breakfasts are wholesome.
Keeping your stomach quiet keeps your head clear. Things'll look more
natural after we've eat. Share mine?"

"No, I mustn't. Mother would miss me and wonder."

"You often do."

"It's better you share mine to-day. Then we must plan. I heard you
say that about you and me together. Will you help me? Shall we prove it
wasn't true--to the rest of the world, I mean--as we know it? Shall we?"

"That's the rest of my life-job, darlin'. We'll begin it right away
by getting a taste of Aunt Sally's good victuals. I hate her picra
doses, but her cooking beats the Dutch."

"Afterward?"

"Afterward isn't touched yet."

Whether real or affected there had come a cheerfulness into the old
man's tone which it had lacked a few moments earlier. After all he
was not useless. Who knew his California as he did? If it were true
that money had been sent to Mr. Trent's hands and was missing, then
somewhere was a man who had appropriated it. Whoever and wherever he was,
he should be found, and Ephraim Marsh was self-appointed so to find.

Jessica's hand slipped under his arm, and her own face grew somewhat
lighter as she walked beside him toward her own home, where Aunt Sally
was keeping an anxious lookout and a most tempting breakfast.

"