ped them on the ground. Pedro stepped forward, swept his hat from
his head and held the gate open for his guests to pass through.
Following them, he pointed to an inviting hammock, swung between two
fruit trees. Again he swept his hat from his head.

"Perhaps the senorita will honor my poor hammock by reposing in it."

Helen stepped to the hammock. Another graceful bow from Pedro.

"At your feet, senorita."

Uncle Sid, uninvited, explored the garden. Pedro was marching to the
adobe. To Helen it seemed as if she had never before experienced such a
delicious sensation as the resting of her tired body in the perfectly
adjusted hammock. Ralph was watching her.

"Pedro has departed, may I take his place?" Assuming an affirmative
answer, he stretched himself at her feet.

"Helen, what's wrong?" he asked anxiously.

"Nothing, that I know of." She replied evasively.

"Is it the office?" persisted Winston.

"Why can't you believe me?" There was a trace of annoyance in her
manner.

"Because when your eyes tell me one thing and your lips another, I'm
going to take my choice."

"I really don't like to ask you to attend to your own business, Ralph."
There was a flash of the old humor in her voice.

"You oughtn't to say that to me, Helen, for the sake of old times--if
for nothing more," he added deliberately.

Helen understood the conditional "if", as well as the expression of his
eyes. A suggestion of red tinged the clear olive of her cheeks.

"This is no place for confidences, even if I had any to exchange!"

"Later on then." Ralph's lips were decided. "Who is your friend?" he
added.

"Uncle Sid? He is an old friend of Elijah's. He and his sister are
stopping at the Vista."

There sounded the leisurely chut-chut of the lumbering wagons. Ralph
rose to his feet.

"There come the wagons."

At the wagon, Helen insisted upon riding in the driver's seat. Uncle Sid
was stowed in the rear. Ralph flashed a look toward Helen.

"My horse won't lead," he declared. "You ride him in, Jim, and I'll
drive."

If Ralph had counted upon a quiet talk with Helen during the ride to
Ysleta, he was certainly disappointed. Uncle Sid's position in the
background was the only thing in the rear which he accepted. In the
matter of conversation, he was well to the front.

"What's 'Lige Berl doin' in this country anyway?" he questioned Ralph.

"'Lige?" repeated Ralph. "Oh, he dreamed a dream; was five years at it.
He dreamed of oran