Serenely oblivious of all the excitement that had been caused at Pebbly Pit by the accident, Tom Latimer drove Mr. Maynard and the happy betrothed pair back to the ranch. John and Anne sat on the back seat while Mr. Maynard sat beside Tom. Finding that John and his fiancÉe needed no assistance from him in entertaining themselves, Tom gave his full attention to the banker from Chicago.

Hence, by the time they reached Rainbow Cliffs, Mr. Maynard was like the blood-hound when he scents a new trail—he was more than anxious to join these energetic men in financing the vast projects so well described by young Latimer.

At the Cliffs Mr. Maynard placed a hand on the lines in order to stop the horses. He gazed and gazed, as if he saw the great walls covered with gold dollars instead of colored stones. Then he sighed and smiled at Tom.

"This promises to be the luckiest thing I ever did—sending Nolla to Pebbly Pit for her health!"

"And wait until you see Nolla! My, but she is rosy and roly now. And besides, Mr. Maynard, she is a born financier. I love to listen to her plan and then see her work out her own schemes. She has one on the carpet at present, and I verily believe she will pull it off!" exclaimed Tom, very much interested in his subject.

"Yes, that girl of mine is worth more to me than any gold-mine or other treasure in the world."

"Oh, really! Well, this time 'listening fools heard some good of themselves'," laughed a merry voice from a crevice in the wall, and immediately afterwards, Eleanor sprang out, with Polly close upon her heels.

The horses were stopped until Eleanor and her father had done with their hugging, and then she remembered to introduce him to Polly.

"The very best chum in the world, Daddy, and so we have sworn never to be separated—not even for money, business, or love!" cried the happy girl, maternally patting Polly on the head as she spoke.

Eleanor sat upon her father's knee and Polly sat upon the floor of the wagon, as they proceeded on their way, but when John called to his sister and asked what had been doing in his absence, she jumped up suddenly and exclaimed.

"Oh! we forgot all about the two men who came this morning and fell over the edge of the gulch!"

Then followed an excited and graphic description of the two New York lawyers who came to Pebbly Pit to buy the Cliffs. When John heard the names, he whistled and looked at Tom.

"Well, even providence is on your side, Polly, for those two men are the rascals who tried to steal Evans' patent rights in the little machine that cuts the jewels. So this is the way they were received at Pebbly Pit, eh?" Tom mused silently after that, but John and Mr. Maynard asked all sorts of questions until they reached the house.

In these isolated mountain ranches, almost every intelligent man can set broken bones, and take care of minor troubles; a doctor living in a town ten to twenty miles away, needs plenty of time to reach a ranch, in cases of illness, and during that time a patient must suffer agonies or be helped by home-aid. Thus, Mr. Ratzger had his bones set by Mr. Brewster and his assistants, and was left neatly bandaged upon a cot in the harness-room. But the other patient seemed past the simple aid from the ranchers, so Jeb had to ride to Oak Creek for a doctor to come and try to save this life.

With all the sudden advent of excitement and work, the thought of Anne's engagement ring had not entered into any one's mind, but once the household had quieted down again, and Mr. Brewster could sit on the porch and mop his weary brow, John smiled knowingly at his fiancÉe.

Mrs. Brewster caught the look and interpreted it instantly: "Oh, Anne, dear! We never asked you to show us the symbol!"

"Yes, yes, Anne! Let me look!" cried Eleanor, jumping up from the grass where Polly and she had thrown themselves.

Anne, with an embarrassed laugh, held forth her left hand and displayed a beautiful solitaire. "Ahhs!" and "Ohs" and other exclamations of admiration pleased John and Anne mightly, and both felt that this mundane life was really a Paradise.

With one accord it had been agreed to postpone the talk of Rainbow Cliffs and Choko's Find until after supper that evening. By that time the doctor would have arrived and expressed an opinion about the injured Riggley, and see if Ratzger was doing nicely under the home-treatment given him.

"Because it makes me feel rather guilty to talk over our future plans about this big combination, when we know that not far off are two men so fearfully injured on account of this very fortune," added Mrs. Brewster, when she heard the business talk would not take place at once.

"As long as I am here and having such a wonderful rest, I would just as soon wait for Latimer and Evans to put in an appearance, before we discuss finances," said Mr. Maynard.

"We'll have enough talk left over to warm up for them," remarked Tom, whimsically.

"And we want to get you first, Dad, and see how much money you will put in. When there are too many men about to talk to at once, the force of our arguments will be scattered," declared Eleanor, nodding her head wisely.

Every one laughed—the first hearty laugh since the accident on the shale-fields. And every one felt much better for that laugh.

"I tell you what, boys, isn't this girl of mine a born business-brain?" added Mr. Maynard fondly patting Eleanor on the head.

"Sure! That's why I am going to run the business end of Polly's and my company, while she supplies all the ideals and plans for the work," asserted Eleanor.

"What's this? Something new on your old Dad?" asked her father.

"Not very new; only since I came here and met Polly." Eleanor squirmed away from Polly's warning nip on the arm, and added: "You see, Dad, I am bound to go with Anne when she starts for New York to school—that has all been settled between us, hasn't it?"

Mr. Maynard smiled indulgently as if to concede any proposition to this child, and Eleanor continued with more assurance:

"And Polly, having all her hopes of attending school in Denver blasted by Anne and her mother going on to New York, now has decided that the only thing for her to do is to go with us to New York. It is a wonderful opportunity for her, too, as she is as determined to take up Interior Decorating for a profession, as I am. And where on earth can one find such store-houses of valuable lore on the subject, as right in New York!"

Mr. Brewster cleared his throat preparatory to an objection but Eleanor kept right on talking fast and loud in order to down him.

"After figuring the whole plan out, Polly and I find that we need a few years more of regular school under Anne's tuition; then a few years of a special course of decorating in a first-rate school in New York—then, if we are not too old, we will go abroad for a visit to the art galleries in Europe. But we may have to give that delightful trip up and turn right into work, as we must not wait until old age cripples our abilities. So you see——"

"Nolla, let me say a word, won't you?" began Polly, seeing her father's expression.

"No, Poll, not now! I have said all I want to tell Dad about our future business connections, and it may influence him somewhat in going into our mine company. But now that he knows just what I shall do from now on, we can leave them to discuss matters while we go in and look over your wardrobe and see what you will need before going to New York."

So saying, Eleanor dragged Polly up from her seat on the grass and, by dint of winks and tugs, made her understand that it was best for all concerned if they were well out of hearing.

Tom, John, and Mr. Maynard laughed heartily at Eleanor's speech and manner of getting Polly away from an evident discussion. Mrs. Brewster and Anne exchanged concerned glances, but Sam Brewster moodily stared for a few minutes away at Rainbow Cliffs. Then quite suddenly, and to the great amazement of every one present, he laughed and said, "To think the new woman has acquired such power that centuries of accepted habit is set aside and the male has to fall in line in the rear. Look at me! I have been the Great Mogul in this family and in all Oak Creek, too, until my baby girl begins to talk plainly and then she quietly pushes me out of my place and steps into it.

"And look at Eleanor Maynard! Talks like an experienced business potentate of forty—yet she is only fourteen. Oh, I tell you what, friends, we are living in a strange time!" And Sam Brewster laughed again, a queer-sounding laugh this. Every one sat still and dreaded to say a word. In a few moments, he continued:

"Here's a wonderful freak of nature, been standing over there for ages untold; and I settle down beside those Cliffs because I can see there will be something in them for my children in days to come. But then, without warning, my baby grows suddenly up and rears her head, and declares 'Those Cliffs must furnish me with money to go away from here. I am of the new order of things, and I must be well prepared to meet my fate!' So she packs her kit and scampers off to New York to imbibe the higher education for women.

"Meantime, her poor lonesome father remains behind in Pebbly Pit and takes charge of the complete blasting of his precious Rainbow Hopes. Ah well! Ah trust Polly will never regret going to New York with you-all!"

As Sam Brewster sighed and got up to walk away, his wife remarked quietly: "Any one would think, Sam, that Polly was your very own personal property. If you could but remember that she has a mother who loves her devotedly and is silently breaking her heart right now, so that the child may follow her own life-line without foolish barriers placed in her pathway!"

Mr. Brewster sent a startled glance at his wife and then hurried away to the barns. But Mr. Maynard said fervently: "There spoke the true mother, Mrs. Brewster. That is what we are parents for, I firmly believe—that we may help the next generation to a higher and firmer foot-hold on progress. If only there were more mothers like you!"

Then John crept over and flung his arm over his mother's shoulders. "Yes, Mr. Maynard—she is great. And we shall live to call her 'blessed,' for this temporary parting from Polly will soon be a dream of the past, and both father and mother will laugh at this talk!"

Drawing Polly into the house, Eleanor whispered: "I know just what you are going to say, Goody-good! You were ready to explode because you had not told me any such things as I pretended you had. But, don't you see, I had to take lots of things for granted to put the plan over in a few seconds? Suppose I had started out with turning to you every few moments for approval, where would we have ended."

"That's what you think, Nolla, but let me tell you this much right here"—and Polly planted her feet firmly and lifted her head upon her proud neck, until Eleanor stood admiring her independence—"I can talk for myself, every time! Don't ever quote me again in any thing that I ever said or did. You may think it is all right because you win out on those grounds, and simply because you never have been taught properly by your mother. But I know better and I won't accept any victory won on any other basis than a clear conscience. Ask Anne Stewart whether she does not agree with me on this point. Now let me tell you, that much as I had yearned to go to New York with you-all I cannot go because you took my personal rights from me. I love you and I was crazy to leave home to go to school, but I will never consent to have any one say or act for me, in any way, when I am perfectly able to do so for myself."

"Oh, Poll! I don't mean it that way—don't you know I only did it to help you out?" cried Eleanor aghast at the turn in events.

"Who asked you to help me out?" demanded Polly, her blue eyes emitting sparks of fire.

"Why—wh—y—you see I had to win your father over!"

"But who told you so? You know very well that it was your own pride in your ability to talk that made you take the bit between your teeth. But you will learn now, that I intend driving my own steed, and will not allow others to whip my mount!"

Eleanor was silenced as she began to review the very recent talk she had given out on the terrace. Polly was right!

"It hurts me to tell you this, Nolla, but it is best that we have a clean slate from this night on. You are awfully clever and witty, too, but you do exaggerate something terrible! I cannot sit tamely by and accept all the things you say of me and our plans. Why, we scarcely said a dozen words about college and Europe!"

"But I did it all for your sake," was all Eleanor could offer in self-defense.

"That's just it! I will not have any one say they had to tell lies to help me along. If I can't paddle my own canoe through the rapids, I can go ashore. But I will balk every time another tries to turn me from the course I know to be my true one. So there!"

"Polly dearest! Do you mean that after all I have done to get Dad here and win your father's consent to your going, that you refuse to leave home—just because I colored my words a bit too vividly?"

"You can color your words as rashly and with as vivid colors as you choose, Nolla, but I say that when you begin to infer that the coloring is of my choosing and that I am in hearty sympathy with the way you win out in matters, then I will balk and if necessary, deny it in the future. I hate color when it is daubed on falsely!"

Eleanor stood self-conscious of her mistakes, and Polly sent her one sorry look and then walked into her room. Eleanor did not dare follow as she was too awed by her friend's honest speech. And she admired Polly all the more for daring to tell her the unvarnished truth about her proclivity to prevaricate.

"It always was my weak spot," grumbled Eleanor to herself, as she walked slowly to the kitchen to see if Sary was there to keep her company. But the big cool kitchen was empty, so the girl sat down in the wooden chair and thought.

"If I had had a different training maybe I wouldn't be so ready to lie," murmured Eleanor. Then, suddenly sneering at herself she added: "Poor fish! Can't even accept what you know is a fact without trying to blame it on some one else. You've scorned Bob for being such a fool, but here you are, ten times worse, because you have wits enough yet you pervert the use of them. Eleanor Maynard, I just feel as if I wanted to give you the biggest hiding you ever heard of!"

As she knew of no way in which to inflict this punishment upon herself, she cried instead. From a prolonged sniffle that caused her to wipe her eyes on her dimity sleeves, she began to weep freely. And finally, heart-broken sobs shook her slender frame. By this time her eyes and nose were rivers of salt-water and the poor girl had no handkerchief. Just when she felt compelled to turn up her skirt to use the ruffle of her white petticoat, Anne came in.

"Why, Nolla! What has happened?"

"Oo-h, Anne—I lost my handkerchief!"

"Is that all, darling! Here use mine—It's clean. But don't cry over a trifle like that. It is sure to be somewhere about the place."

Before Anne could dry the flooded eyes and hold the bit of white linen at Eleanor's nose, the girl broke into a merry laugh—so close were tears and laughter in Eleanor's makeup.

"Oh, oh—Anne! I didn't mean that that was what made me cry! But I am so disgusted with myself—that is why I am weeping. If some one would only whip me soundly, I would feel so much better!"

"Oh, I see! you're crying because you are so selfish, eh?"

Eleanor looked up astonished. "Selfish—no, I want to be thrashed, you know."

"And because you cannot get what you think you want, you sit out here and weep! Oh come, Nolla! come out on the terrace and let your Dad see how happy you are!"

The very illumination that came with Anne's unexpected words choked the sobs in Eleanor's throat, and she meekly followed Anne to the pump where cold water was dashed upon her red eye-lids. As she dried her face on a clean towel that hung back of the door, she thought: "Yes, sir! Even in howling for a licking I was fooling myself into believing I was doing the right thing! Oh, Nolla, Nolla! how much you have to change your old ways of thinking and talking before you can feel as honest and wise as Anne Stewart or Polly!"