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 Southwest had been rather more educational than his college life. But—and he realized the fact with regret—neither his college, social, nor Western education had prepared him for an emergency such as the present one. None of his courses had instructed him as to the proper words with which to address a strange young lady discovered painting a landscape under an apple-tree!

However, there was nothing to be gained by railing at the deficiencies of his education. Having removed his cap as a preliminary, he sought confusedly about in his mind for words. And he found them at last!

"I hope we have not alarmed you?"

That was what he was going to say. But he never said it. For, just as he had composed his features into a proper expression of courteous con