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As soon as Ernest and she were alone in the kitchen, Charley whispered: "How about Mrs von Minden?"

"Oh, they had a fine row She wants his strong box She said at first that she didn't knohat she wanted but later confessed that it was her is were to put her wise to"

"Poor old soul!" exclaiedy do you suppose is back of all this?"

"I don't know But none of us urged the poor old girl to coht with you, but if Dick isn't here--"

"That's all right," said Charley "He stays here often when Dick is gone He and I are great friends I shall say nothing at all about his wife, unless he does"

"That's the best cue, I think," agreed Ernest; "I'm so darned sorry about the alfalfa, Charley"

"Pioneer luck," replied the girl shaking her dark head "I feel rather heartsick about it o to pieces so! That's orries me, because we oing to have such a hard time"

"I can't see why you chose such a difficult part of the world to farm in," mused Ernest

"That's where the sport comes in," returned Charley with a smile

Whatever discomfort Dick's surly and erraticof having any thought save the couests Before Felicia had been sent to bed and after the , had listened to Von Minden's dissertation on sand storh his paces

To the surprise and delight of the others, when Crazy Dutch went to the door and whistled, there was the sound of little hoof-beats on the porch, then Peter's gray head appeared enquiringly in the doorway

"Wipe your feet and co to his seat by the fire

The little donkey rubbed one hoof after the other on the straw mat before the sill, then advanced into the rooer's lap, trembled with excitement and pleasure

"Now, Peter dear, here is your pipe," pulling a corncob froentleerly between his teeth and then with considerable difficulty backed his haunches down onto the box that Von Minden kicked over to hi earsslowly back and forth