"Not in the Topaz," Starbuck struck in loyally. "We don't make the bricks up there--not the phony kind. But let that go and tell me something else. A while back, when you were giving me a little song and dance about the colonel's daughter, you mentioned another woman--though not by name, if you happen to recollect. I was just wondering if this Miss Rich-people, or whatever her name is, might be the other one." Again the new secretary laughed--this time without embarrassment. "You've called the turn, Billy. She is the other one." "H'm; chasing you up?" "Oh, no; it was just one of the near-miracles. She didn't know I was here, and I had no hint that she was coming." "I didn't know," commented the reformed cowboy. "Sometimes when you think it's a cold trail, it's a warm one; and then again when you think it's warm, it fools you." "Oh, pshaw!" scoffed the trail-maker, "you make me weary, Billy. We are merely good friends. No longer ago than last night I had the strongest possible proof of Miss Richlander's friendship." "Did, eh? All right; it's your roast; not mine. But I'm going to pull one chestnut out of the fire for you, even if I do get my fingers burned. This Miss Rich-folks has had only one day here in Brewster, but she's used it in getting mighty chummy with the Stantons. Did you know that?" "What!" ejaculated Smith. "Jesso," smiled Starbuck. "She had her luncheon with 'em to-day, and for an hour or so this evening the three of 'em sat together up in the Hophra inside-veranda parlor. Does that figure as news to you?" "It does," said Smith simply; and he added: "I don't understand it." "Funny," remarked the ex-cow-man. "It didn't ball me up for more than a minute or two. Stanton fixed it some way--because he needed to. Tell me something, John; could this Miss Rich-garden help Stanton out in any of his little schemes, if she took a notion?" Smith turned away and stared at the blackened square of outer darkness lying beyond the office window. "She could, Billy--but she won't," he answered. "You can dig up your last dollar and bet on that, can you?" "Yes, I think I can." "H'm; that's just what I was most afraid of." "Don't be an ass, Billy." "I'm trying mighty hard not to be, John, but sometimes the ears will grow on the best of us--in spite of the devil. What I mean is this: when a woman thinks enough of a man to keep his secrets, she's mighty likely to think too much of him to keep those same secrets from spreading themselves on the bill-boards when the pinch comes." "I'm no good at conundrums," said Smith. "Put it in plain words."