Part 26 (1/2)

”What is it you would like rown into Betty's head

”I have it!” she cried ”Why not write to Paul Loup's er in New York and ask hily, while the girls looked at their Little Captain adive us infored Betty, reining her horse close to Allen and laying a timid hand on his arm, ”you won't even whisper a word of e've told you--not for your foolish old law, or anything else?”

”Of course not,” said Allen, sive the poor fellow his chance”

CHAPTER XXIII

GREAT DAYS

That very afternoon Allen coer--advised and censored by the girls, of course--and they all rode off to town tomail

”Now,” said Mollie, as, this duty well performed, they started back to the ranch, ”I feel better We've started so, anyway”

”Let's hope that we can finish it,” added Grace, dubiously

They did not expect an answer to this epistle within ten days, and in the meantime they found plenty to keep theress at the ht expect to hear the glorious tidings that so had been seen of Peter Levine since that ht when the map had been taken from him, and it was rumored that the rascally lawyer had left town

”And the longer he keeps away the healthier it will be for hih: ”Gee, but it makes me happy every time I think of how sore that chap may be”

Betty had dimpled sympathetically

”You have an awfully y and Dan Higgins orking furiously at their mine, but after a few days Betty was quick to see that they were not progressing as well as so and robust for her age, was only a girl and her father was an old ies in a fruitless search for fortune

Betty had besought her father to send help to these good friends of hers, and Mr Nelson had immediately complied

There had been soy too, for that matter

”We can't take nothin' thet we can't pay fer, sir,” the old fellow assured Mr Nelson positively But the latter rehter's life, as well as those of the other girls, and that this put him, Mr Nelson, deeply in the others' debt

In view of this the old fellow finally surrendered In his heart he was deeply, fervently thankful for the help of the young, able-bodied man whom Mr Nelson provided and for whose services he paid

”But ef I strike thet thar gold vein, sir,” Dan assured Mr Nelson earnestly, ”I'oin' to ht, we can talk about that later,” Mr Nelson said, and laughed and walked on to view his own operations, feeling that he had done a very good day's work

One irls mounted their horses and turned their heads in the direction of the gold diggings, they heard what see in the distance and with one iallop

”So and shouting becairls, I wonder who it is”