“That’s why you have so few,” accused Dorothy.
“Oh, fudge!” quoth Tavia, turning to the window again. “It must be terrible wearisome to be alone in the wilderness.”
“Whatever are you talking about?” snapped Dorothy, at last awaking to the fact that Tavia’s mind was engaged in a mysterious line of thought.
“Why—poor Lance,” replied Tavia, in a most soulful tone of voice.
“Tavia Travers!” gasped Dorothy. “Won’t you ever let that poor fellow alone?”
“That’s exactly it,” said Tavia. “He is all, all alone, ’way up there in the woods, watching that river flow by. Isn’t it awful?”
“Do behave!” snapped Dorothy. “He’s well out of your way——”
“But he doesn’t think so, I am sure. Even his mother says I’m a ‘monstrous interesting gal.’”
For Mrs. Petterby had come over to the Hardin Ranch again by Mrs. White’s express invitation. The little old lady from Rand’s Falls, Massachusetts, was actually getting cured of her prejudices against the West.
“And Ophelia seems contented,” said she. “I got ter admit that there’s some things about Colorado I like. I never did eat sech melons. An’ the sky’s bluer than I ever see it before.