Even Firefly tried to edge closer to respond gratefully. Jane tipped her little whip under her father’s chin, thereby endangering the tilt of his cap. “You are always so generous, Dad. Couldn’t I gather tin cans to sieve the copper through, or do something to make up?” she asked playfully. “Really, if I am almost as good as a boy, don’t you think I might sometime act the part?” “You are a heap better, little girl, and I have no wish to see you act otherwise than just as my Janie,” replied the smiling father. “But those boys you have just noticed gathering the tins are wasting their time. No more copper comes this way in the mine water. All their rusty tins will be wasted, for Montana copper is being too well worked these days,” declared Mr. Allen, referring to the tin-can trick of collecting copper through the cyanide method. “Oh, how disappointed they will be! Should we tell them?” suggested Jane, observing at that moment the group of boys trudging along with their cart of old tins. “Well, they may get some farther on, but not around here,” amended Mr. Allen. “By the way, Janie, when do you want to start with this new plan of shopping and college trip?” Jane looked under her long lashes to discover, if possible, how her father felt about her leaving earlier than they had planned. But he was flicking Victor with the willow whip, and she obtained no clue to his feelings from his expression. Jane hated to be so abrupt—of course he would be lonely. “Oh, I thought I might leave about ten days earlier,” she ventured. “That will give me time to locate the Polish girl, get acquainted, and help with her outfit. Besides, Aunt Mary suggested that I buy some of my things ready-to-wear, as it is so difficult here to shop by mail from St. Paul.” “That would be about when?” persisted the father. “About next Wednesday.” “Very well, girlie. Just so long as I know how many signed checks to get ready, and how many men to assign to the baggage.” Jane looked relieved. Her father plainly had come to the same conclusion she had managed to confine her reasoning to, namely: since she couldn’t bring the Eastern college to El Capitan, she would have to go to the college, and that protesting against the details of separation from her beloved ranch home, simply threw a shadow over the prospect of a joyful year at school. “We are getting educated, Janie,” Mr. Allen said, as they pulled up to the waiting groom. “Old dad takes the school term as a matter of course now. Not that I don’t miss my little girl as much as ever, but because I have taken the home course in economics—the grade that gives us all the discipline and the self control,” he laughed at this attempt to qualify his change of mental attitude. He was a wonderful father, a perfectly adorable pal, and withal a business man whose name spelled power and prosperity. “Dad, all the same I’m a weakling,” admitted Jane. “Because I just hate to leave you—and——”