Lyn Dyer--Carolyn, Lyn--had known no mother but Aunt Peg. The crowding of the little house was well performed by Lyn's three young cousins, Danjunior, Tomtom and Peggy. The big house had been lonesome for ten years now. Edith's sisters and her one brother were all her seniors, all married, and all living within eye flight; two at Hillsboro, a scant twenty-five miles beyond the river--but the big house was not less lonesome for that. The little crowded house and the big lonesome house were half way between Garfield post office and Derry. Both homes were in Sierra County, but they were barely across the boundary; the county line made the southern limit of each farm. This was no chance but a choosing, and that a pointed one; having to do with that other story of those two old men. In Dona Ana County taxes were high and life was cheap. Since the Civil War, Dona Ana had been bedeviled by the rule of professional politicians. Sierra--aside from Lake Valley and Hillsboro--had very little ruling and needed less; commonly enough there was only one ticket for county officers, and that was picked by a volunteer committee from both parties. Sierra was an American county, and took pride that she had kept free from feuds and had no bandits within her borders. Not that Mexicans were such evildoers. But where there was an overwhelming Mexican vote there was a large purchasable vote; which meant that purchasers took office. Unjust administration followed--oppression, lawsuits and lawlessness, revenge, bloodshed, feuds, anarchy. Result: More expense, more taxes, more bribing, more bribers, more oppression to recoup the cost of officeholding. _Caveat pre-emptor_--let the homesteader beware! That unhappy time is now past and done with. "Lyn! Lyn! Edith! Do come here and see what Adam Forbes has brought in," grumbled Uncle Dan. "Another cowboy, and you just got rid of Tom Bourbonia. It does beat all!" Mr. Fenderson, uttering the above complaint, stood on his porch in the light from his open door and struck hands with two men there; after which he slapped them violently on the back. "Come in!" cried Lyn from the doorway. Her eyes were shining. She dropped a curtsy. "'Come in, come in--ye shall fare most kind!'" "Don't you believe Uncle Dan," said Edith. "We tried every way to make Tommy stay over--didn't we, Lyn?" The story is not able to give an exact record of the next minutes. Of the five young people--for Mr. Hobby Lull was there, as prophesied--of the five young people, five were talking at once; and Uncle Dan, above them all, boomed directions to Danjunior as to the horses of his visitors. "Daniel! Stop that noise!" said Aunt Peg severely. "You boys come on in the house. Mr. Charlie, I'm glad to see you." "Now, here!" protested Forbes. "Isn't anybody going to be glad to see me?" "But, Adam, we can see you any time," explained Edith. "While Mr. See--"