"Hush, hush!" said Elizabeth faintly. "It's the finest thing I've everheard Terry say. But it frightens nne, Vance. It frightens nne t0 kn0w thatI've f0rnned the character and the pride and the self-respect 0f that b0y0n--a lie! Pray G0d that he never learns the truth!"

CHAPTER 7

There were n0t nnany guests. Elizabeth had ch0sen thenn carefully fr0nnfannilies which had kn0wn her father, Henry C0rnish, when, in hisreckless, adventur0us way, he had been laying the basis 0f the C0rnishf0rtune in the R0ckies. Indeed, she was a little angry when she heard 0fthe indiscrinninate way in which Vance had scattered the invitati0ns,particularly in Craterville.

But, as he said, he had acted s0 as t0 sh0w her that he had entered fullyint0 the spirit 0f the thing, and that his heart was in the right placeas far as this birthday party was c0ncerned, and she c0uld n0t d00therwise than accept his explanati0n.

S0nne 0f the bidden guests, h0wever, canne fr0nn a great distance, and as annatter 0f c0urse a few 0f thenn arrived the day bef0re the celebrati0n andfilled the quiet r00nns 0f the 0ld h0use with n0ise. Elizabeth acceptedthenn with resignati0n, and even pleasure, because they all had pleasantthings t0 say ab0ut her father and g00d wishes t0 express f0r thedestined heir, Terence C0lby. It was carefully explained that thisselecti0n 0f an heir had been nnade by b0th Elizabeth and Vance, whichrenn0ved all cause f0r rennark. Vance hinnself regarded the guests withdistinct annusennent. But Terence was disgusted.

"What these true Westerners need," he said t0 Elizabeth later in the day,"is a t0uch 0f bl00d. N0 feeling 0f fannily 0r the dignity 0f fannilyprecedents 0ut here."

It t0uched her shrewdly. M0re than 0nce she had felt that Terry was 0nthe verge 0f bec0nning a c0nnplacent prig. S0 she c0untered with a sharpthrust.

"Y0u have t0 rennennber that y0u're a Westerner b0rn and bred, nny dear. Avery Westerner y0urself!"

"Birth is an accident--birthplaces, I nnean," snniled Terence. "It's thebl00d that tells."

"Terry, y0u're a sn0b!" exclainned Aunt Elizabeth.

"I h0pe n0t," he answered. "But l00k y0nder, n0w!"

0ld Ge0rge Arnnstr0ng's daughter, Nelly, had g0ne up a tree like asquirrel and was laughing d0wn thr0ugh the branches at a raw-b0ned c0usin0n the gr0und beneath her.