y had chalked it off into what
corresponded to five-yard lines, and they were hurling twenty-two
chess-men across it in "flying wedges" and practising the several
tricks which young Langham had intrusted to his sister under an oath of
secrecy. The sight filled the directors with the horrible fear that
business troubles had turned the President's mind, but after they had
sat for half an hour perched on the high chairs around the table, while
Hope excitedly explained the game to them, they decided that he was
wiser than they knew, and each left the house regretting he had no son
worthy enough to bring "that young girl" into the Far West.

"You are home early," said Mr. Langham, as Alice stood above him
pulling at her gloves. "I thought you said you were going on to some
dance."

"I was tired," his daughter answered.

"Well, when I'm out," commented Hope, "I won't come home at eleven
o'clock. Alice always was a quitter."

"A what?" asked the older sister.

"Tell us what you had for dinner," said Hope. "I know it isn't nice to
ask," she added, hastily, "but I always like to know."

"I don't remember," Miss Langham answered, smiling at her father,
"except that he was very much sunburned and had most perplexing eyes."

"Oh, of course," assented Hope, "I suppose you mean by that that you
talked with some man all through dinner. Well, I think there is a time
for everything."

"Father," interrupted Miss Langham, "do you know many engineers--I mean
do you come in contact with them through the railroads and mines you
have an interest in? I am rather curious about them," she said,
lightly. "They seem to be a most picturesque lot of young men."

"Engineers? Of course," said Mr. Langham, vaguely, with the ten of
spades held doubtfully in air. "Sometimes we have to depend upon them
altogether. We decide from what the engineering experts tell us
whether we will invest in a thing or not."

"I don't think I mean the big men of the profession," said his
daughter, doubtfully. "I mean those who do the rough work. The men
who dig the mines and lay out the railroads. Do you know any of them?"

"Some of them," said Mr. Langham, leaning back and shuffling the cards
for a new game. "Why?"

"Did you ever hear of a Mr. Robert Clay?"

Mr. Langham smiled as he placed the cards one above the other in even
rows. "Very often," he said. "He sails to-morrow to open up the
largest iron deposits in South America. He goes fo