e
price of pasture land, and then file claim on the whole dog-gone tract."

This vision of enormous wealth was captivating to the Senator, who had
made his first start in mining and knew something of its possibilities.
Bold as he was, however, he was also cautious, but after several
conferences with Moran, he fell in with the scheme, first securing the
services of a skilled metallurgist and an equally capable engineer, who
were liberally paid and solemnly sworn to secrecy. He sent them out to
verify the discoverer's story, and sent Moran to Crawling Water, to
establish himself, and to do such preparatory work as should be
necessary. In due time, Moran reported by letter that the gold was
located, and was beyond question abundant. He was having trouble,
however, in getting the property, as Wade refused to sell.

"Of course," he wrote, "we can file mining claims on the ground we know
of, and get possession that way, but we want to make more surveys
before doing that, so as to be sure of getting all there is, and we
can't do that without giving the whole snap away, and filling the
mountains full of prospectors. If that damn Wade won't sell, I'll find
some means to drive him away."

It was just after the receipt of this letter, which filled the Senator
with hope on the one hand, and anxiety on the other that he came on
Helen one evening, as she was entering her own sitting room, and
followed her in for a chat.

"What are you thinking of?" he asked, presently, when she failed to
notice some trivial question he had asked, and seemed to be in a
reverie.

She looked at him with laughing eyes.

"Crawling Water."

"Gordon Wade, eh? Well, I wouldn't think of him too much. Better let
that pass. You've outgrown it."

"Oh, no I haven't."

The Senator sighed.

"Mother said to me a little while ago, that he was probably going with
other girls and forgetting me, and it made me angry."

"Well, I reckon your mother is about right. Gordon is a likely looking
chap, you know. I've got nothing against him, except that he isn't good
enough for you; no man is. You don't really care so much for him, do
you?"

"Oh, don't I?" She viewed her father through half closed lids, in a
quizzical way. "I care so very much for him that if I really thought
there was another girl, I would go to Crawling Water to-morrow. You'd
have to drop everything and take me."

Her father gently pinched her cheek.

"I would, eh? Well, maybe I'll have to