Helen remained silent for several minutes. She tried to look sad. Within, however, she was furiously angry. But this was not the hour for her to triumph. Flossie had been giggling for a few moments. Now she asked her cousin, saucily: "I say! Where did you pick up that calico dress, Helen?" "This?" returned the visitor, looking down at the rather ugly print. "It's a gingham. Bought it ready-made in Elberon. Do you like it?" "I love it!" giggled Flossie. "And it's made in quite a new style, too." "Do you think so? Why, I reckoned it was old," said Helen, smoothly. "But I'm glad to hear it's so fitten to wear. For, you see, I ain't got many clo'es." "Don't you have dressmakers out there in Montana?" asked Hortense, eyeing the print garment as though it was something entirely foreign. "I reckon. But we folks on the range don't get much chance at 'em. Dressmakers is as scurce around Sunset Ranch as killyloo birds. Unless ye mought call Injun squaws dressmakers." "What are killyloo birds?" demanded Flossie, hearing something new. "Well now! don't you have them here?" asked Helen, smiling broadly. "Never heard of them. And I've been to Bronx Park and seen all the birds in the flying cage," said Flossie. "Our Nature teacher takes us out there frequently. It's a dreadful bore." "Well, I didn't know but you might have 'em East here," observed Helen, pushing along the time-worn cowboy joke. "I said they was scurce around the ranch; and they be. I never saw one." "Really!" ejaculated Hortense. "What are killyloo birds good for?" "Why, near as I ever heard," replied Helen, chuckling, "they are mostly used for making folks ask questions." "I declare!" snapped Belle. "She is laughing at you, girls. You're very dense, I'm sure, Hortense." "Say! that's a good one!" laughed Flossie. But Hortense muttered: "Vulgar little thing!" Helen smiled tranquilly upon them. Nothing they said to her could shake her calm. And once in a while--as in the case above--she "got back" at them. She kept consistently to her rude way of speaking; but she used the tableware with little awkwardness, and Belle said to Hortense: "At least somebody's tried to teach her a few things. She is no sword-swallower." "I suppose Aunt Mary had some refinement," returned Hortense, languidly. Helen's ears were preternaturally sharp. She heard everything. But she had such good command of her features that she showed no emotion at these side remarks. After luncheon the three sisters separated for their usual afternoon amusements. Neither of them gave a thought to Helen's loneliness. They did not ask her what she was going to do, or suggest anything to her save that, an hour later, when Belle saw her cousin preparing to leave the house in the same dress she had worn at luncheon, she cried: "Oh, Helen, _do_ go out and come in by the lower door; will you? The basement door, you know." "Sure!" replied Helen, cheerfully. "Saves the servants work, I suppose, answering the bell."