to Evelyn that he and Terry had succeeded in their deals
down in Wall Street and had almost recovered from their losses caused by
failure of the Texas bank, and that they were thinking of going back
down to Texas to look after their new ranch and to try to add another
thousand head of cattle to their herd.

"And you came up to tell us good-by, eh?"

"Well, we came up to see you girls, but about that I'll tell you later."

Neither of the boys went over into town during that day. They were
satisfied to remain with their sweethearts, and their sweethearts were
more than pleased to have them do so. Both the girls were highly pleased
with the report they made as to their financial success in Wall Street.

"Fred," said Evelyn, "why not defer your return to Texas until cold
weather, when I would be glad to go down with you and brother and spend
the winter there, for I enjoyed myself splendidly last winter. The
people were kind and sociable."

"Yes, indeed, we have found them so. When we left there, as I told you
when we first came up, we were loaded down with loving messages for you
from the best society people there at Crabtree, but I never saw Wall
Street so dull in my life. I've had my revenge over the worst enemy I
ever had there; but you know all about that, for you were down at the
office at the time I changed front and got the best of Broker Bellamy
and his syndicate."

"Yes, and I actually felt sorry for the old rascal. I don't enjoy other
people's distress, Fred."

"No I know that; but I tell you that sometimes revenge is sweet. We
didn't make as much out of that deal as we expected to, but still we
have no right to complain. We have not only saved ourselves from
financial embarrassment, but have money enough left to add another
thousand head of cattle to the ranch and to build any kind of a house
that would suit you."

"Suit me!" said she. "Are you expecting to make that your future home,
Fred?"

"I'll leave that with you, dear. If you insist upon it we can live
elsewhere and do as we did on the Colorado ranch, leaving faithful men
to manage it for us."

"Fred, I could live contentedly anywhere in the world where you are
satisfied and can make money.

"Mrs. Hamilton, however," she continued, "is horrified at the idea of
Mary living so far from her. She has a great fear of the climate of
Texas, and she thinks the people, too, down there are nearly half
savages."

"Well, can't you tell her better than