in the mountains, Mr. McGraw, I want you for
engineer."

Glover was saying something to her as they turned away together, but
she gave no heed to his meaning. She caught only the low, pretty
uncertainty in his utterance, the unfailing little break that she loved
in his tone.

He was saying, "Yes--some of it thirty feet. Morris Blood is
tunnelling on the Pilot branch this morning; it's bad up there, but the
main line is clear from end to end. Surely, you never looked so sweet
in your life. Gertrude, Gertrude, you're a beautiful girl. Do you
know that? What are those fellows shouting about? Me? Not at all.
They're cheering you."

CHAPTER XX

DEEPENING WATERS

The stolen interview of the early morning was the consolation of the
day. Gertrude confided a resolve to Glover. She had thought it all
out and he must, she said, talk to her father. Nothing would ever ever
come of a situation in which the two never met. The terrible problem
was how to arrange the interview. Her father had already declined to
meet Glover at all. Moreover, Mr. Brock had a fund of silence that
approximated absolute zero, and Gertrude dreaded the result if Glover,
in presenting his case, should stop at any point and succumb to the
chill.

During such intervals as they managed to meet, the lovers could discuss
nothing but the crisis that confronted them. The definite clearing of
the line meant perhaps an early separation and something must be done,
if ever, at once.

In the evening Gertrude made a long appeal to her aunt to intercede for
her, and another to Marie, who, softening somewhat, had spent half an
hour before dinner in discussing the situation calmly with Glover; but
over the proposed interview Marie shook her head. She had great
influence with her father, but candidly owned she should dread facing
him on a matter he had definitely declined to discuss.

They parted at night without light on their difficulties. In the
morning Glover made several ineffectual efforts to see Gertrude early.
He had an idea that they had forgotten the one who could advise and
help them better than any other--his friend and patron, Bucks.

The second vice-president was now closer in a business way to Mr. Brock
than anyone else in the world. They were friends of very early days,
of days when they were laying together the foundations of their
careers. It was Bucks who had shown Mr. Brock the stupendous
possibilities in reorganizing t