scenic variety she had never dreamed of. One moment
they were looking at the wonderful mesas and superb canyons; the next they
seemed to pass through dry gullies and great shallow basins. Then there
would come long, weary levels of sand that gleamed in the sun; and far away
she would behold tremendous buttes. The valleys they passed through were
verdant and lovely. Cattle grazed here in a calm peace. It was as if the
rest of the world were shut out, and in this quiet land a special blessing
had come down. The peace of it, the stillness of it crowded in upon her.
She had been to California, but always she had traveled by a northern
route, and had missed the wonder of this part of the world. Before their
journey was over, she had begged Morgan to take her to the Grand Canyon;
and for two days they remained there, drinking in the glory of perhaps the
most beautiful spot on the western continent. She could not get enough of
it--those colors that sank into her heart and consciousness and made her
think she was in paradise. To see the sun rise here--she almost wept that
morning when the lord of heaven came over the mountains that towered like
huge sentinels, impervious to wind and gale and rain.

"I can't stand such beauty, Morgan," she said at last. "It takes something
out of me. We'll have to go on."

She saw the giant cactus in full bloom, a miracle of orange, pink, and
crimson; and as they sped south the mountainsides were aflame with juniper
and manzanita.

At last they reached the little town of Bisbee, where Morgan was to have a
conference with several engineers. Sturgis met them--a fair-haired fellow
with a captivating smile. He liked this country, and told Pell he wished he
could always be kept here. There was no doubt about the new vein of oil,
and new ranches were being opened up rapidly. Only a few miles away was one
that promised well; and the young chap on it was in money difficulties. A
good chance to step in. There had been rumors that a neighbor had taken up
his mortgage; but maybe this was not so. Perhaps they weren't too late. He
had telephoned over, and the youngster had agreed that Pell and his wife
could come and stay with him and his invalid uncle for awhile. Of course he
knew nothing of their intentions. That would never do. They would just lie
low. In fact, he, Sturgis, need not accompany them, except to the hotel.
The ranch-owner's foreman would fetch them out in a Ford. Not a bad trip at
all--only