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whether the skirt is worn separately; I must see the dressmaking

sharp about it; but I think you'll want something on besides a

jacket and skirt; at least; it looks like it up here。  I don't

think you could manage a piano down there without the old man

knowing it; and raisin' the devil generally。  I promised you I'd

let up on him。  Mind you keep all your promises to me。  I'm glad

you're gettin' on with the six…shooter; tin cans are good at

fifteen yards; but try it on suthin' that MOVES!  I forgot to say

that I am on the track of your big brother。  It's a three years'

old track; and he was in Arizona。  The friend who told me didn't

expatiate much on what he did there; but I reckon they had a high

old time。  If he's above the earth I'll find him; you bet。  The

yerba buena and the southern wood came all right;they smelt like

you。  Say; Flip; do you remember the lastthe VERY lastthing

that happened when you said 'Good…by' on the trail?  Don't let me

ever find out that you've let anybody else kiss〃





But here the virtuous indignation of the Postmaster found vent in

an oath。  He threw the letter away。  He retained of it only two

facts;Flip HAD a brother who was missing; she had a lover present

in the flesh。



How much of the substance of this and previous letters Flip had

confided to her father I cannot say。  If she suppressed anything it

was probably that which affected Lance's secret alone; and it was

doubtful how much of that she herself knew。  In her own affairs she

was frank without being communicative; and never lost her shy

obstinacy even with her father。  Governing the old man as

completely as she did; she appeared most embarrassed when she was

most dominant; she had her own way without lifting her voice or her

eyes; she seemed oppressed by mauvaise honte when she was most

triumphant; she would end a discussion with a shy murmur addressed

to herself; or a single gesture of self…consciousness。



The disclosure of her strange relations with an unknown man and the

exchange of presents and confidences seemed to suddenly awake

Fairley to a vague; uneasy sense of some unfulfilled duties as a

parent。  The first effect of this on his weak nature was a peevish

antagonism to the cause of it。  He had long; fretful monologues on

the vanity of diamond…making; if accompanied with a 〃pestering〃 by

〃interlopers;〃 on the wickedness of concealment and conspiracy; and

their effects on charcoal…burning; on the nurturing of spies and

〃adders〃 in the family circle; and on the seditiousness of dark and

mysterious councils in which a gray…haired father was left out。  It

was true that a word or look from Flip generally brought these

monologues to an inglorious and abrupt termination; but they were

none the less lugubrious as long as they lasted。  In time they were

succeeded by an affectation of contrite apology and self…

depreciation。  〃Don't go out o' the way to ask the old man;〃 he

would say; referring to the quantity of bacon to be ordered; 〃it's

nat'ral a young gal should have her own advisers。〃  The state of

the flour barrel would also produce a like self…abasement。  〃Unless

ye're already in correspondence about more flour; ye might take the

opinion o' the first tramp ye meet ez to whether Santa Cruz Mills

is a good brand; but don't ask the old man。〃  If Flip was in

conversation with the butcher; Fairley would obtrusively retire

with the hope 〃he wasn't intrudin' on their secrets。〃



These phases of her father's weakness were not frequent enough to

excite her alarm; but she could not help noticing they were

accompanied with a seriousness unusual to him。  He began to be

tremulously watchful of her; returning often from work at an

earlier hour; and lingering by the cabin in the morning。  He

brought absurd and useless presents for her; and presented them

with a nervous anxiety; poorly concealed by an assumption of

careless; paternal generosity。  〃Suthin' I picked up at the

Crossin' for ye to…day;〃 he would say; airily; and retire to watch

the effect of a pair of shoes two sizes too large; or a fur cap in

September。  He would have hired a cheap parlor organ for her; but

for the apparently unexpected revelation that she couldn't play。

He had received the news of a clue to his long…lost son without

emotion; but lately he seemed to look upon it as a foregone

conclusion; and one that necessarily solved the question of

companionship for Flip。  〃In course; when you've got your own flesh

and blood with ye; ye can't go foolin' around with strangers。〃

These autumnal blossoms of affection; I fear; came too late for any

effect upon Flip; precociously matured by her father's indifference

and selfishness。  But she was good humored; and; seeing him

seriously concerned; gave him more of her time; even visited him in

the sacred seclusion of the 〃diamond pit;〃 and listened with far…

off eyes to his fitful indictment of all things outside his grimy

laboratory。  Much of this patient indifference came with a

capricious change in her own habits; she no longer indulged in the

rehearsal of dress; she packed away her most treasured garments;

and her leafy boudoir knew her no more。  She sometimes walked on

the hillside; and often followed the trail she had taken with Lance

when she led him to the ranch。  She once or twice extended her walk

to the spot where she had parted from him; and as often came shyly

away; her eyes downcast and her face warm with color。  Perhaps

because these experiences and some mysterious instinct of maturing

womanhood had left a story in her eyes; which her two adorers; the

Postmaster and the Butcher; read with passion; she became famous

without knowing it。  Extravagant stories of her fascinations

brought strangers into the valley。  The effect upon her father may

be imagined。  Lance could not have desired a more effective

guardian than he proved to be in this emergency。  Those who had

been told of this hidden pearl were surprised to find it so

jealously protected。





CHAPTER V。





The long; parched summer had drawn to its dusty close。  Much of it

was already blown abroad and dissipated on trail and turnpike; or

crackled in harsh; unelastic fibres on hillside and meadow。  Some

of it had disappeared in the palpable smoke by day and fiery crests

by night of burning forests。  The besieging fogs on the Coast Range

daily thinned their hosts; and at last vanished。  The wind changed

from northwest to southwest。  The salt breath of the sea was on the

summit。  And then one day the staring; unchanged sky was faintly

touched with remote mysterious clouds; and grew tremulous in

expression。  The next morning dawned upon a newer face in the

heavens; on changed woods; on altered outlines; on vanished crests;

on forgotten distances。  It was raining!



Four weeks of this change; with broken spaces of sunlight and

intense blue aerial islands; and then a storm set in。  All day the

summit pines and redwoods rocked in the blast。  At times the onset

of the rain seemed to be held back by the fury of the gale; or was

visibly seen in sharp waves on the hillside。  Unknown and concealed

watercourses suddenly overflowed the trails; pools became lakes and

brooks rivers。  Hidden from the storm; the sylvan silence of

sheltered valleys was broken by the impetuous rush of waters; even

the tiny streamlet that traversed Flip's retreat in the Gin and

Ginger Woods became a cascade。



The storm drove Fairley from his couch early。  The falling of a

large tree across the trail; and the sudden overflow of a small

stream beside it; hastened his steps。  But he was doomed to

encounter what was to him a more disagreeable objecta human

figure。  By the bedraggled drapery that flapped and fluttered in

the wind; by the long; unkempt hair that hid the face and eyes; and

by the grotesquely misplaced bonnet; the old man recognized one of

his old trespassers;an Indian squaw。



〃Clear out 'er that!  Come; make tracks; will ye?〃 the old man

screamed; but here the wind stopped his voice; and drove him

against a hazel bush。



〃Me heap sick;〃 answered the squaw; shivering through her muddy

shawl。



〃I'll make ye a heap sicker if ye don't vamose the ranch;〃

continued Fairley; advancing。



〃Me wantee Wangee girl。  Wangee girl give me heap grub;〃 said the

squaw; without moving。



〃You bet your life;〃 groaned the old man to himself。  Nevertheless

an idea struck him。  〃Ye ain't brought no presents; hev ye?〃 he

asked cautiously。  〃Ye ain't got no pooty things for poor Wangee

girl?〃 he continued; insinuatingly。



〃Me got heap cache nuts and berries;〃 said the squaw。



〃Oh; in course! in course!  That's just it;〃 screamed Fairley;

〃you've got 'em cached only two mile from yer; and you'll go and

get 'em for a half dollar; cash down。〃



〃Me bring Wangee girl to cache;〃 replied the Indian; pointing to

the wood。  〃Honest Injin。〃



Another bright idea struck Mr

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