"Pinckney, sir, not Garcia," corrected Mr. Pinckney.
"Of course. I beg pardon, Miss G-Pinckney. Oh, bother, I'll say Miss Dolores and then I'll make no mistake."
"It is from my uncle," remarked Miss Dolores. "I will read it if you all will excuse."
She took the letter to the window and ran over its contents. "It is just as you already know," she said at last. "I am truly Dolores Pinckney. My uncle acknowledges that it is my right name and he is very glad that I have found out without his having broken his oath. He is pleased that I have found so kind and good a relative as this dear grandfather. He sends greetings to, you, sir." She bowed slightly to Mr. Pinckney, "and to all the friends who have been so kind to me," again that little foreign manner of bowing. "He is a good man, that poor uncle," she went on, "and he is happy for me. Now, my dear grandfather, I belong to you and to my dear aunt. Beso a ustedes la mono, señor y señora," she said with a little laugh and dropping a pretty curtsey.
"I never doubted for one moment that you belonged to us," returned Mr. Pinckney, "but I am glad, for your sake, that you have this further testimony. Now, then, good people, all, when do we start? Ho, for the Yellowstone! Will you go with us, Jennie?" he asked his daughter.
"No, thank you, father," she replied. "I've seen the Yellowstone, you remember, and I think I'll stay at home with my old man." She turned with a smile to her husband.
"But you'll come to us at Christmas."
"Perhaps. I will not promise, but I will try to come."
"You'd better," remarked Mr. Pinckney. "We must have a family party, and it wouldn't be complete without my daughter. And you, Mr. Carter Barnwell, how about you?"
"I'm not in it, sir. You know I'm an exile and shouldn't dare to risk a New York blizzard." He spoke lightly, but he looked grave. "I can tell you," he added, "it breaks a fellow up to have all this cutting out of the best part of the crowd. Can't you adopt me as a sort of nephew, Mrs. Roberts? I don't know what I shall do when all the others leave. Couldn't you give me a horse stall in your stable or somehow let me hang on to you?"