"Yes indeed, young lady; explanations are in order," added another.
"Miss Colson didn't like it a bit. She had an exquisite luncheon,
and you know how people depend upon your appreciation of good things
to eat!"

"Well, you see," answered Barbara, turning to pat her horse's neck
as the animal, edging closer to her side, rubbed his soft muzzle
coaxingly against her shoulder, "Pilot and I were out on the Mesa
and he said he didn't want to come back. Pilot doesn't care at all
for afternoon parties, do you old boy?"--with another pat--"so what
could I do? I didn't like to hurt Miss Colson's feelings, of course,
but I didn't like to hurt Pilot's feelings either; and the day was
so perfect and Pilot was feeling so good and we were having such fun
together! I guess it was a case of 'a bird in the hand,' or
'possession being nine points,' you know; or something like that.
Only for pity's sake, girls, don't tell Miss Colson I said that."

They all laughed understandingly and the vivacious one said: "I
guess it was possession all right. Could anything on earth induce
you to give up your horse and your desert, Barbara?"

Inside the bank Jefferson Worth, with his customary careful, exact
manner, was explaining to a small rancher that it was impossible to
extend the loan secured by a mortgage on the farmer's property.
Personally Mr. Worth would be glad to accommodate him. But the loan
had already been extended three times and there were good reasons
why the bank must call it in. The farmer must remember that a bank's
duty to its stockholders and depositors was sacred. It was not a
question of the farmer's honesty; it was altogether a question of
Good Business.