He smiled as he went on his way after leaving the girl to rest.  The thought of a sister pleased him.  The old woman at the ranch had made him careful for the girl who was thus thrown in his company.

He rode down through the rough town to the railway station, but a short distance from the rude stopping-place; and there he made inquiries concerning roads, towns, etc., in the neighboring locality, and sent a telegram to the friends with whom he had been hunting when he got lost.  He said he would be at the next town about twenty miles away.  He knew that by this time they would be back home and anxious about him, if they were not already sending out searching parties for him.  His message read: 

“Hit the trail all right.  Am taking a trip for my health.  Send mail to me at ——­”

Then after careful inquiry as to directions, and learning that there was more than one route to the town he had mentioned in his telegram, he went back to his companion.  She was ready to go, for the presence of other people about her made her uneasy.  She feared again there would be objection to their further progress together.  Somehow the old woman’s words had grown into a shadow which hovered over her.  She mounted her horse gladly, and they went forward.  He told her what he had just done, and how he expected to get his mail the next morning when they reached the next town.  He explained that there was a ranch half-way there where they might stop all night.

She was troubled at the thought of another ranch.  She knew there would be more questions, and perhaps other disagreeable words said; but she held her peace, listening to his plans.  Her wonder was great over the telegram.  She knew little or nothing about modern discoveries.  It was a mystery to her how he could receive word by morning from a place that it had taken them nearly two days to leave behind, and how had he sent a message over a wire?  Yes, she had heard of telegrams, but had never been quite sure they were true.  When he saw that she was interested, he went on to tell her of other wonderful triumphs of science, the telephone, the electric light, gas, and the modern system of water-works.  She listened as if it were all a fairy tale.  Sometimes she looked at him, and wondered whether it could be true, or whether he were not making fun of her; but his earnest, honest eyes forbade doubt.

At the ranch they found two women, a mother and her daughter.  The man asked frankly whether they could take care of this young friend of his overnight, saying that she was going on to the town in the morning, and was in his care for the journey.  This seemed to relieve all suspicion.  The two girls eyed each other, and then smiled.

“I’m Myrtle Baker,” said the ranch-owner’s daughter.  “Come; I’ll take you where you can wash your hands and face, and then we’ll have some supper.”

Myrtle Baker was a chatterer by nature.  She talked incessantly; and, though she asked many questions, she did not wait for half of them to be answered.  Besides, the traveller had grown wary.  She did not intend to talk about the relationship between herself and her travelling companion.  There was a charm in Myrtle’s company which made the girl half regret leaving the next morning, as they did quite early, amid protests from Myrtle and her mother, who enjoyed a visitor in their isolated home.