ht it on himself. They're going to
put him into the stable."

The men rode forward, and when they passed out of sight Hetty slipped back
from behind the curtain, and, sat down, shivering as she looked up at Miss
Schuyler.

"I can't help it, Flo. If one could only make them let him go!"

"You need not let any of them see it," said Miss Schuyler, sharply. "Sit
quite still here and talk to me. Now, what right had those men to arrest
him?"

The warning was sufficient. Hetty shook out her dress and laughed, though
her voice was not steady.

"It's quite simple," she said. "The Sheriff can call out any citizen to
help him or send any man off after a criminal in an emergency. Of course,
being a responsible man he stands in with us, and in times like these the
arrangement suits everybody. We do what seems the right thing, and the
Sheriff is quite pleased when we tell him."

Flora Schuyler smiled drily. "Yes. It's delightfully simple. Still,
wouldn't it make the thing more square if the other men had a good-natured
Sheriff, too?"

"Now you are laughing at me. The difference is that we are in the right."

"And Larry, of course, must be quite wrong!"

"No," said Hetty, "he is mistaken. Flo, you have got to help me--I'm going
to do something for him. Try to be nice to Chris Allonby. They'll send him
to take care of Larry."

Miss Schuyler looked steadily at her companion. "You tried to make me
believe you didn't care for the man."

A flush stole into Hetty's cheek, and a sparkle to her eyes. "Can't you do
a nice thing without asking questions? Larry was very good to me for
years, and--I'm sorry for him. Any way, it's so easy. Chris is young, and
you could fool any man with those big blue eyes if he let you look at
him."

Flora Schuyler made a half-impatient gesture, and then, sweeping her dress
aside, made room for Christopher Allonby. She also succeeded so well with
him that when the guests had departed and the girls came out into the
corral where he was pacing up and down, he flung his cigar away and
forsook his duty to join them. It was a long ride to Cedar Range, and
Torrance had decided to stay with Allonby until morning.

"It was very hot inside--they would put so much wood in the stove," said
Hetty. "Besides, Flo's fond of the moonlight."

"Well," said Allonby, "it's quite nice out here, and I guess Miss Schuyler
ought to like the moonlight. It's kind to her."

Flora Schuyler laughed as they walked past the