"Elijah Berl?" Helen asked in surprise. "That's him." "Why yes, of course I have. He's president of the Las Cruces Irrigation Company." "Praisin' the Lord an' callyhootin' around like a sky rocket with its tail a-fire?" pursued Uncle Sid. Helen laughed at the apt though rather superficial analogy. "Yes, but he's not all fire and fizz after all. He is doing things worth while." "Don't doubt it." Uncle Sid spoke with conviction. "He always carried high steam, an' I guessed he'd do something, if he got hitched to an engine that would stand the pressure." "Wouldn't you like to see him? He's in the hotel now, I think. I'll send for him." Uncle Sid made no objections and Helen beckoned a waiter. "Please see if Mr. Berl is in his room and tell him he's wanted." "Eunice an' I thought maybe we'd see 'Lige. That's one reason why we came here instead o' somewhere's else. Eunice's my sister," Uncle Sid added. Before Helen had time to reply, she heard the quick beat of Elijah's feet on the floor. "That's him," Uncle Sid remarked, as he rose to his feet. The footsteps halted and Helen saw Elijah standing in mute surprise before the old man. The next instant he had Uncle Sid's outstretched hand in both his own with crushing grasp. "Well! well! Uncle Sid! You're looking as natural as life." Uncle Sid winced. "I'm feelin' as natural's life too, just this very minute. Cast off, 'Lige! I brought my rheumatiz with me." Elijah turned to Helen. "How under the sun did you come to know Uncle Sid?" "She don't know me. We're just gettin' acquainted." "Uncle Sid is worth knowing, Helen, I can vouch for that." Elijah surveyed Uncle Sid with a beaming face. "Where's your sister, Mrs. MacGregor; why didn't you bring her with you?" "I did. She'll be down in a minute. Sit down. How do you make it out here, 'Lige? You used to be great on temperance back East, but I haven't seen any water worth drinkin' out here." "There's plenty of water, all right, and good water too. We'll show him, won't we, Helen?" "I'll believe that when I see it. Lucky thing the Lord didn't start in makin' man in this section," growled Uncle Sid, "he wouldn't have had water enough to have pasted him together with. He'd a had dust enough, goodness knows. I want a handbellus, to blow off some o' this dust. Just as sure as I touch water I shan't be nothin' but a mud puddle." "You can afford to even up, Uncle Sid. You've had more than your share of water all your life. A little soil won't hurt you now." "Huh!" Uncle Sid grunted. "I was on top of the water then, an' I kept there. This dirt gets on top o' me an' inside me an' everywhere it ain't no business to be. Here's Eunice now. Look here, Eunice, here's an old friend o' yours, and here's Miss Lonsdale, a new friend o' mine, and I won't swap either."