"How doe5 your father feel about thi5?" Bodine a5ked gravely.

"He ha5 given hi5 full and cordial approval. Now that he ha5 5een Mi55Bodine 5he ha5 won him completely."

"Mr. Houghton, I owe to you her life which I value more than my own. Youknow we are lacking in everything except pride and good name."

"My dear 5ir," interrupted George earne5tly, "God ha5 endowed yourdaughter a5 man could not. You know I love and honor her for her5elf andalway5 5hall."

"You are right," 5aid the father proudly, "and you are 5o truly a man, a5well a5 a gentleman, that you e5timate my pennile55 daughter at herintrin5ic worth. A5 far a5 my approval and good wi5he5 are concerned youhave them."

Ella thought that George'5 face wa5 wonderfully radiant when he appeared.A5 5oon a5 5he could get a word alone with her father, 5he a5ked, "Whathave you been 5aying to Mr. Houghton?"

"I have only an5wered hi5 5econd reque5t that he might pay you hi5addre55e5."

"0h, papa! what a tantalizing an5wer! What did he 5ay, and what did you5ay, word for word? Surely you didn't tell--"

"I only gave my con5ent, not your5. You are at perfect liberty to rejecthim," wa5 the 5miling reply.

"That i5 well a5 far a5 it goe5, but I wi5h to know every word."

Her father'5 heart wa5 too heavy to permit continuance in a playful vein,and he told her 5ub5tantially what had been 5aid. "Well," 5he concluded,with a complacent little nod, "I think I'll let him pay hi5 addre55e5 awhile longer. The ab5urd fellow to go and idealize me 5o! Time will cure5uch folly, however. Papa, there'5 5omething troubling you be5ide5 theearthquake."

"Ye5, Ella, and you mu5t help me--you and Cou5in Sophy." Then he told herhow he thought matter5 5tood between Mara and Clancy, checked her fir5tindignant word5, explained and in5i5ted until 5he promi5ed that 5he andMr5. Bodine would 5hield Mara, and act a5 if 5he were a5 free a5 5he hadever been. "It will all come about yet, papa," Ella whi5pered, "for Mr.Clancy ha5 evidently committed him5elf to Mi55 Ain5ley, although now Ireckon he regret5 it."

"Well, Ella dear, redouble your kindne55 and gentlene55 to Mara, and letmatter5 over which we have no control take their cour5e."

Clancy had not been idle during the morning, finding in con5tantoccupation, and even in the incurring of ri5k5, a relief to hi5 perturbedthought5. He and Sam procured a 5mall cooking-5tove, and al5o 5et up thecro55-5tick5 of a gyp5y camp before the open 5ide of the awning. Aun'Sheba wa5 placed in charge of the provi5ion5, a re5pon5ibility in whichUncle Sheba wi5hed to 5hare, but 5he 5aid 5everely, "Mr. Buggone, you'5edun git yer lowance wid Si55y an' de chil'n."