ted?"

"No, indeed, no, I shall not do that," he replied. "I have not the
slightest thought of such a project. I am merely out for sport."

She eyed him uncertainly. "But--We get all the reports--There is an
Ashton connected with that wonderful Zariba Dam, just being finished
in Arizona."

"That is my father. He is interested in it with a Mr. Leslie. They are
financing the project. But I have nothing to do with it, nothing
whatever, I assure you. The engineer is another man, a fellow
named--"

He paused as if unable to remember. The girl looked at him with a
shade of disappointment in her clear eyes.

"A Mr. Blake--Thomas Blake," she supplied the name. "I thought you
might have known him."

"Ah--Blake?" he murmured hesitatingly. "Why, yes, I did at one time
have somewhat of an acquaintance with him."

"You did?" she cried, her eyes brilliant with excitement. "Oh, tell
me! I--" She faltered under his surprised stare, and went on rather
lamely: "You see, I--we have been immensely interested in the Zariba
Dam. The reports all describe it as an extraordinary work of
engineering. And so we have been curious to learn something about the
engineer."

"But if you're so opposed to irrigation projects?" he thrust.

"That makes no difference," she parried. "We--Daddy and I--cannot but
admire such a remarkable engineer."

Ashton shrugged. "The dam was a big thing. I fail to see why you
should admire Blake just because he happened to blunder on the idea
that solved the difficulty."

"You do not like him," she said with frank directness.

He hesitated and looked away. When he replied it was with evident
reluctance: "No, I do not. He is--You would hardly admire him
personally, even though he did bully Genevieve Leslie into marrying
him."

"He is married?" exclaimed the girl.

"No wonder you are surprised," said Ashton. "It was the most amazing
thing imaginable--she the daughter of H. V. Leslie, one of our
wealthiest financiers, and he a rough, uncouth drunkard."

"Drunkard?" almost screamed the girl. "No, no, not drunkard! I cannot
believe it!"

"He certainly was one until just before Genevieve married him,"
insisted Ashton. "I hear he has managed to keep sober since."

"O-o-oh!" sighed Miss Isobel, making no effort to conceal her vast
relief. She attempted a smile. "I am so glad to hear that he is all
right now. Of course he must be!... You say he married an heiress?"

"She is worth three millions in her own r