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This patriotic resolution was arrived at in the first twenty minutes, while the expert was removing the dust of travel in Señora Peladero's parlatorio and making the disconcerting discovery that the receipt for goat's milk cheese had been left at the station before the last, where she had last had occasion to use it. Señora Peladero, observing at supper that the Señorita Hooverino, whose proper name had been completely swallowed by her function, was troubled, had it out of her in a twinkling. Could it not, then, be recovered, the so eagerly anticipated government secret of goat's milk cheeses? By telegraph, the señorita told her, from that railway junction from which she had been all day climbing up in the buckboard of the mail-carrier to Questa la Platta. How fortunately everything is arranged when one but thinks of it! Only half as much time is required for going down the mountain as for coming up, which would allow Juan Ruiz time for necessary sleep between his arrival at the telegraph station and

his return with the so thoughtful receipts of the Government. Accordingly Juan Ruiz was despatched.

Thus Questa la Platta had a whole day for anticipating what the Government had to say on the subject of eating meat once a day, and the expert filled in part of the time by writing to her aviator that the consciousness of bringing this simple people into touch with the great world more than compensated for the hardships of her undertaking. In the spiritual rebirth which was to follow on the cessation of the war, she felt that Questa la Platta would, through the medium of goat's milk cheese, be able to take its place in the brotherhood of peoples.

There was also, as the day advanced, a little matter in the way of an egg lacking for the demonstration of water-glass, which must be seen to. Señora Peladero was desolated because she had used up the whole of two eggs retrieved from her own barn-yard for a cake for the food expert, and Señora Bacca, her nearest neighbor, had sent hers to Señora Montoya, who was abed of her seventh! But let the Señorita Hooverino rest assured; if the Government at Washington desired an egg, an egg would be found.

By the time the shadow of the mountain had swallowed up several lesser ranges, and the last of the goat-herds had come home, Juan Ruiz returned with the telegraphic directions for the making of goat's milk cheese in his hat. Considering the interest at stake, the cost of his journey, which the expert added to her expense account, was not exorbitant.