They have forged papers showing that Mary is an adopted daughter--though not legally.

Don't you see that if you don't go on letting everybody think you are Bransford, Mary will lose the ranch ?" Sanderson shook his head.

"I'd be gettin' deeper an' deeper into it all the time--in love an' in trouble.

An' when she'd find out how I'd fooled her all the time she'd hate me." "Not if you save the ranch for her," argued the little man.

"She'd feel badly about her brother, maybe, but she'd forgive you if you stayed and beat Dale at his own game." Sanderson did not answer.