assion with her, and she understood it to
perfection.

The next day she talked quite a while with several married ladies,
particularly those who understood housekeeping and milking and
butter-making. The ladies seemed to be surprised at her enthusiasm, and
asked her if she had ever milked a cow, or churned butter, and her
replies actually staggered some of them.

She said that if she were worth a million dollars, that there was no
amusement she would rather indulge in than to milk cows, feed chickens,
gather eggs, and do all sorts of domestic work.

The idea of a society girl indulging in such amusements seemed
incredible to the ladies at the hotel.

Three days passed, which Fred and Terry improved by cleaning up around
the house. When the carpets came down, with men to lay them, the
furniture was moved in, and shades and lace curtains put up, until
really the plain little ranch house was more elegantly furnished than
many of the homes of the richest citizens in Crabtree.

Then, Terry went up to Crabtree after Evelyn. He went on a freight train
engine, and Evelyn wanted to come back on the same; but he insisted upon
hiring a carriage at the livery stable and driving her through.

CHAPTER V.

EVELYN ON THE NEW RANCH.

Two young ladies at Crabtree offered to go down to the ranch with
Evelyn, but she suggested to them to wait until she first found out
whether the new home was one to which she would like to invite them.

"If the place is such that I can offer you comfort, I will notify you,
without delay," so they remained behind at the hotel.

The driver then started off down the road at a clipping pace. Terry had
hired a splendid team, and the driver understood well how to manage the
beautiful horses.

The dirt road ran all the way down in sight of the railroad. They passed
many beautiful suburban residences during the first three or four miles,
after which they passed farmhouses and then the road stretched white and
straight over the wide prairies.

Terry had directed that Evelyn's two trunks be sent down by freight.
Evelyn enjoyed the ride very much.

"Brother," said she, "the grass seems to be greener and richer down
through this country than up in Colorado."

"Yes, and so it is, else we wouldn't have bought down here. We have some
advantages here that we didn't have up there. There we had to drive our
cattle and receive our freight twenty miles away; but now the railroad
runs right along beside us,