Blue Bonnet's Ranch Party

here; it was tiresome to make explanations before such an audience. Besides, she did not know the visitor's name,-introductions had been of a rather sket

nnet looked at the

udson," he

l stay here till his arm is better," sh

sure," said Uncle Cliff wi

hand with an air of relief. "You'

protested cordially. "C

ranch. Knight Judson was placed between Alec and Uncle Cliff, and in that congenial company the youth lost his shyness and was soon chatting away like an old friend. The a

Bonnet and Sarah. On the whole, they acted rather well considering the strain on their curiosity; it was

ncoherent but wholly thrilling tale, while the rest of the girls hung breathlessly on the recital. Mrs. Clyde look worried when Sarah dwelt on the peril that had threatened the two of them; Blue

h, wrinkling up her brow. "Wher

"I know," she cried; "don't you remember

ed!" exclaimed Sarah. "She

in the morning,"

e of the Mexicans with a letter from Knig

ou," Mr. Ashe admonished the youth. "You mu

of time in this pleasant place; he and Alec had fraternized at once, and he welcomed the chance

lue Bonnet ope

relation to her? Well, I guess yes

d." She stopped abruptly; it was impossible to tell Knight about the mission

nd Mr. Judson," she rema

s,-we have wonderful times there. A few days ago I had a letter from my cousin George in Chicago asking me to look up his friend Abbott, who had been orde

ppened. We ought to have known better than to let a tender

ault," protested Sarah ind

e as scientifically as

he We are Sevens were not all of Sarah's type. Bl

about the Big Spring, and Uncle has promised to take me there. But, somehow, he

s fad." "He's tremendously interested in boys and has started a sort of 'get together' movement for

Blue Bonn

inued. "Uncle isn't at all strong-that's why he came back from his mission-but he works hard all the time, always doing

e go camping, too?"

ay," he replied. Then a thought seemed to strike him. "W

I think it would be perfectly love

pathetic smile. "It sounds attrac

d to the boy who spoke so glowingly of his uncle's work. Knight Judson was a manly young fellow, she c

pen, and without much aid from books had yet thought more deeply than most youths of his age. He was tall and strong, all

ed so unceremoniously the evening before. Alec carried a lariat, for learning to lasso had become the absorbing passion of his life, and y

was plain that Knight had brought a new element into Alec's life, and these two goo

ipped over!" Blue Bon

aimed her grandmoth

met Knight Judson. Alec has had too many girls around him here. He needs a spell of roughing it," and then

believe it moves in t

a Massachusetts word that co

ays," Sarah announced from the doorway

ight-hued pieces of material, Benita smoothing and pinning the patterns, the Se?ora superintending, and the girls cutting and snipping to

he cloth for their early dinner,

fly so quickly be

declared, "I'd have taken it up before. It's much nicer than embroidery or me

lexed eyes. "It looks rath

Bonnet's hands. "Look!" she bade the rest, "-there's no p

s, which had the unexpected eff

ng eyes and cheeks that burned with mortification. Then she turned on Kitty,-"I'm sorry the ranch can't offer you a

l after Blue Bonnet when she met Mrs. Clyde's eyes, full of a pained surprise. The girl

," she said with a

ah. "I shouldn't have called attention

ng to apologize for to Blue Bonnet. Half the fun of being a We are Seven is being able to say just

, "and I'm sure she'll be ready to apolo

," as Uncle Joe had nicknamed them, were mute. This unheard of state of affairs woul

more at that elastic table-and his bright humorous talk had completely fascinated every one. After dinner the men went off f

istrait and moody, avoiding direct speech with each other, and preserving an attitude of injured pride. Blue Bonnet had made up h

thers can keep on spoiling her if they want to, but I'm not going to kowtow all th

the water that would have terrified her the day before. Once she plunged her bright head under the water and kept it there until she was almost black in the face, i

y to learn to swim is t

onnet, who was doing an overhand stroke in the quiet water of the opposite bank. "I believe the only way to learn to swim is to dive in head-first-the

at her; she saw at once that Kitty had chosen too shallow a spot,-a dive at that point might be dangerous. At any other t

here she had gone down, waiting to see the red locks rea

shouted shrilly, "

, "she's struck her head on the bottom." She had seized Kitty by this time and held the girl's head above the water, but the body hung limp and heavy in her arms. The girls sprang to help and among them they mana

, as Debby started on the run, she called after her-"That young doctor-bring

sprite, Debby burst upon the others as they s

! Kitty dove and Blue Bonnet went

eet cut and bleeding from her run over the roug

. Clyde had turned ghastly white at Debby's cry and had sprung up to follow the men. But the sight of the little messenger lying in a pathetic heap by her chair, stopped her. Hastily summo

she had not run for forty years, and burst upon the group

er grandmother hugged her convulsively. "She isn't d

d. "It wasn't you then?" she questi

cried Bl

her arms, and held her close as if she would never let her go. In that moment Blue

hem to the gro

ow, Knight, get in some of your good work,-first aid to the injured

e cut and the small twigs trimmed from them. Then stripping off his coat he bade Alec thrust the two poles into its sleeve, one in each. Uncle Cliff's co

eeks, was borne gently to the house by Uncle Cliff and the doctor, attended by a body-gu

was not deep or wide enough to warrant his sewing it up. Whereat there was great rejoicing in the household,-not, however, shared by the medical man. A bit of stitching would have given him practice and no end

n the room. Beside her bed s

?" asked a sep

e whisper

y's head, and then before she had recognized her servitor a pair of soft lips wer

id Kitty, returning the kiss warmly. "S

on the Potomac?" Bl

though somewhat shaky

s ser