to　get　back　to　the　old　life　　to　polo　and　lobsters　and
  theatres　and　balls。〃
  〃Never　cared　much　for　balls；〃　said　Teddy　virtuously。
  〃You're　getting　old；　Teddy。　Your　memory　is　failing。
  Nobody　ever　knew　you　to　miss　a　dance；　unless　it　occurred
  on　the　same　night　with　another　one　which　you　attended。
  And　you　showed　such　shocking　bad　taste；　too；　in　dancing
  too　often　with　the　same　partner。　Let　me　see；　what　was
  that　Forbes　girl's　name　　the　one　with　wall　eyes
  Mabel；　wasn't　it？〃
  〃No；　Ad閘e。　Mabel　was　the　one　with　the　bony
  elbows。　That　wasn't　wall　in　Ad閘e's　eyes。　It　was　soul。
  We　used　to　talk　sonnets　together；　and　Verlaine。　Just
  then　I　was　trying　to　run　a　pipe　from　the　Pierian　spring。〃
  〃You　were　on　the　floor　with　her；〃　said　Octavia；　unde…
  flected；　〃five　times　at　the　Hammersmiths'。〃
  〃Hammersmiths'　what？　〃　questioned　Teddy；　vacuously。
  〃Ball　　ball；〃　said　Octavia；　viciously。　〃What　were
  we　talking　of？〃
  〃Eyes；　I　thought；〃　said　Teddy；　after　some　reflection；
  〃and　elbows。〃
  〃Those　Hammersmiths；〃　went　on　Octavia；　in　her
  sweetest　society　prattle；　after　subduing　an　intense　desire
  to　yank　a　handful　of　sunburnt；　sandy　hair　from　the　head
  lying　back　contentedly　against　the　canvas　of　the　steamer
  chair；　〃had　too　much　money。　Mines；　wasn't　it？　It　was
  something　that　paid　something　to　the　ton。　You　couldn't
  get　a　glass　of　plain　water　in　their　house。　Everything　at
  that　ball　was　dreadfully　overdone。〃
  〃It　was；〃　said　Teddy。
  〃Such　a　crowd　there　was！〃　Octavia　continued；　con…
  scious　that　she　was　talking　the　rapid　drivel　of　a　school…
  girl　describing　her　first　dance。　〃The　balconies　were　as
  warm　as　the　rooms。　I　　lost　　something　at　that　ball。〃
  The　last　sentence　was　uttered　in　a　tone　calculated　to
  remove　the　barbs　from　miles　of　wire。
  〃So　did　I；〃　confessed　Teddy；　in　a　lower　voice。
  〃A　glove；〃　said　Octavia；　falling　back　as　the　enemy
  approached　her　ditches。
  〃Caste；〃　said　Teddy；　halting　his　firing　line　without
  loss。　〃I　hobnobbed；　half　the　evening　with　one　of
  Hammersmith's　miners；　a　fellow　who　kept　his　hands　in
  his　pockets；　and　talked　like　an　archangel　about　reduction
  plants　and　drifts　and　levels　and　sluice…boxes。〃
  〃A　pearl…gray　glove；　nearly　new；〃　sighed　Octavia；
  mournfully。
  〃A　bang…up　chap；　that　McArdle；〃　maintained　Teddy
  approvingly。　〃　A　man　who　hated　olives　and　elevators；
  a　man　who　handled　mountains　as　croquettes；　and　built
  tunnels　in　the　air；　a　man　who　never　uttered　a　word
  of　silly　nonsense　in　his　life。　Did　you　sign　those　lease…
  renewal　applications　yet；　madama？　They've　got　to　be
  on　file　in　the　land　office　by　the　thirty…first。〃
  Teddy　turned　his　head　lazily。　Octavia's　chair　was
  vacant。
  A　certain　centipede；　crawling　along　the　lines　marked
  out　by　fate；　expounded　the　situation。　It　was　early　one
  morning　while　Octavia　and　Mrs。　Maclntyre　were　trim…
  ming　the　honeysuckle　on　the　west　gallery。　Teddy　had
  risen　and　departed　hastily　before　daylight　in　response
  to　word　that　a　flock　of　ewes　had　been　scattered　from　their
  bedding　ground　during　the　night　by　a　thunder…storm。
  The　centipede；　driven　by　destiny；　showed　himself　on
  the　floor　of　the　gallery；　and　then；　the　screeches　of　the　two
  women　giving　him　his　cue；　he　scuttled　with　all　his　yellow
  legs　through　the　open　door　into　the　furthermost　west
  room；　which　was　Teddy's。　Arming　themselves　with
  domestic　utensils　selected　with　regard　to　their　length；
  Octavia　and　Mrs。　Maclntyre；　with　much　clutching　of
  skirts　and　skirmishing　for　the　position　of　rear　guard　in
  the　attacking　force；　followed。
  Once　outside；　the　centipede　seemed　to　have　disappeared；
  and　his　prospective　murderers　began　a　thorough　but
  cautious　search　for　their　victim。
  Even　in　the　midst　of　such　a　dangerous　and　absorbing
  adventure　Octavia　was　conscious　of　an　awed　curiosity
  on　finding　herself　in　Teddy's　sanctum。　In　that　room
  he　sat　alone；　silently　communing　with　those　secret　thoughts
  that　he　now　shared　with　no　one；　dreamed　there　whatever
  dreams　he　now　called　on　no　one　to　interpret。
  It　was　the　room　of　a　Spartan　or　a　soldier。　In　one
  corner　stood　a　wide；　canvas…covered　cot；　in　another；　a
  small　bookcase；　in　another；　a　grim　stand　of　Winchesters
  and　shotguns。　An　immense　table；　strewn　with　letters；
  papers　and　documents　and　surmounted　by　a　set　of　pigeon…
  holes；　occupied　one　side。
  The　centipede　showed　genius　in　concealing　himself
  in　such　bare　quarters。　Mrs。　Maclntyre　was　poking　a
  broom…handle　behind　the　bookcase。　Octavia　approached
  Teddy's　cot。　The　room　was　just　as　the　manager　had　left
  it　in　his　hurry。　The　Mexican　maid　had　not　yet　given　it
  her　attention。　There　was　his　big　pillow　with　the　imprint
  of　his　head　still　in　the　centre。　She　thought　the　horrid
  beast　might　have　climbed　the　cot　and　hidden　itself　to　bite
  Teddy。　Centipedes　were　thus　cruel　and　vindictive
  toward　managers。
  She　cautiously　overturned　the　pillow；　and　then　parted
  her　lips　to　give　the　signal　for　reinforcements　at　sight　of　a
  long；　slender；　dark　object　lying　there。　But；　repressing
  it　in　time；　she　caught　up　a　glove；　a　pearl…gray　glove；
  flattened　　it　might　be　conceived　　by　many；　many
  months　of　nightly　pressure　beneath　the　pillow　of　the　man
  who　had　forgotten　the　Hammersmiths'　ball。　Teddy
  must　have　left　so　hurriedly　that　morning　that　he　had；　for
  once；　forgotten　to　transfer　it　to　its　resting…place　by　day。
  Even　managers；　who　are　notoriously　wily　and　cunning；
  are　sometimes　caught　up　with。
  Octavia　slid　the　gray　glove　into　the　bosom　of　her　sum…
  mery　morning　gown。　It　was　hers。　Men　who　put　them…
  selves　within　a　strong　barbed…wire　fence；　and　remember
  Hammersmith　balls　only　by　the　talk　of　miners　about　sluice…
  boxes；　should　not　be　allowed　to　possess　such　articles。
  After　all；　what　a　paradise　this　prairie　country　was！
  How　it　blossomed　like　the　rose　when　you　found　things
  that　were　thought　to　be　lost！　How　delicious　was　that
  morning　breeze　coming　in　the　windows；　fresh　and　sweet
  with　the　breath　of　the　yellow　ratama　blooms！　Might　one
  not　stand；　for　a　minute；　with　shining；　far…gazing　eyes；　and
  dream　that　mistakes　might　be　corrected？
  Why　was　Mrs。　Maclntyre　poking　about　so　absurdly
  with　a　broom？
  〃I've　found　it；〃　said　Mrs。　MacIntyre；　banging　the　door。
  〃Here　it　is。〃
  〃Did　you　lose　something？　asked　Octavia；　with　sweetly
  polite　non…interest。
  〃The　little　devil！〃　said　Mrs。　Maclntyre；　driven　to
  violence。　〃Ye've　no　forgotten　him　alretty？〃
  Between　them　they　slew　the　centipede。　Thus　was　he
  rewarded　for　his　agency　toward　the　recovery　of　things
  lost　at　the　Hammersmiths'　ball。
  It　seems　that　Teddy；　in　due　course；　remembered　the
  glove；　and　when　he　returned　to　the　house　at　sunset　made
  a　secret　but　exhaustive　search　for　it。　Not　until　evening；
  upon　the　moonlit　eastern　gallery；　did　he　find　it。　It　was
  upon　the　hand　that　he　had　thought　lost　to　him　forever；
  and　so　he　was　moved　to　repeat　certain　nonsense　that　he
  had　been　commanded　never；　never　to　utter　again。　Teddy's
  fences　were　down。
  This　time　there　was　no　ambition　to　stand　in　the　way；
  and　the　wooing　was　as　natural　and　successful　as　should
  be　between　ardent　shepherd　and　gentle　shepherdess。
  The　prairies　changed　to　a　garden。　The　Rancho　de　las
  Sombras　became　the　Ranch　of　Light。
  A　few　days　later　Octavia　received　a　letter　from　Mr。
  Bannister；　in　reply　to　one　she　had　written　to　him　asking
  some　questions　about　her　business。　A　portion　of　the
  letter　ran　as　follows：
  〃I　am　at　a　loss　to　account　for　your　references　to　the
  sheep　ranch。　Two　months　after　your　departure　to　take
  up　your　residence　upon　it；　it　was　discovered　that　Colonel
  Beaupree's　title　was　worthless。　A　deed　came　to　light
  showing　that　he　disposed　of　the　property　before　his　death。
  The　matter　was　reported　to　your　manager；　Mr。　Westlake；
  who　at　once　repurchad　the　property。　It　is　entirely
  beyond　my　powers　of　conjecture　to　imagine　how　you　have
  remained　in　ignorance　of　this　fact。　I　beg　you　that　will
  at　once　confer　with　that　gentleman；　who　will；　at　least；
  corroborate　my　statement。〃
  Octavia　sought　Teddy；　with　battle　in　her　eye。
  〃What　are　you　working　on　this　ranch　for？〃　she　asked
  once　more。
  〃One　hundred　　〃　he　began　to　repeat；　but　saw　in　her
  face　that　she　knew。　She　held　Mr。　Bannister's　letter　in
  her　hand。　He　knew　that　the　game　was　up。
  〃It's　my　ranch；〃　said　Teddy；　like　a　schoolboy　detected
  in　evil。　〃It's　a　mighty　poor　manager　that　isn't　able　to
  absorb　the　boss's　business　if　you　give　him　time。〃
  〃Why　were　you　working　down　here？〃　pursued　Octavia
  still　struggling　after　the　key　to　the　riddle　of　Teddy。
  〃To　tell　the　truth；　'Tave；〃　said　Teddy；　with　quiet
  candour；　〃it　wasn't　for　the　salary。　That　about　kept　me
  in　cigars　and　sunburn　lotions。　I　was　sent　south　by　my
  doctor。　'Twas　that　right　lung　that　was　going　to　the　bad
  on　account　of　over…exercise　and　strain　at　polo　and　gym…
  nastics。　I　needed　climate　and　ozone　and　rest　and　things
  of　that　sort。〃
  I