And I'm sure grateful to God, or
whoever or whatever is responsible for your being on this earth. For
you do like me heaps. It's been my joy to hear you say so to-day.
It's--" He left the thought arrested, and his face assumed the familiar
whimsical expression as he murmured: "Dede, Dede, we've just got to get
married. It's the only way, and trust to luck for it's coming out all
right--".

But the tears were threatening to rise in her eyes again, as she shook
her head and turned and went up the steps.

CHAPTER XX

When the ferry system began to run, and the time between Oakland and
San Francisco was demonstrated to be cut in half, the tide of
Daylight's terrific expenditure started to turn. Not that it really
did turn, for he promptly went into further investments. Thousands of
lots in his residence tracts were sold, and thousands of homes were
being built. Factory sites also were selling, and business properties
in the heart of Oakland. All this tended to a steady appreciation in
value of Daylight's huge holdings. But, as of old, he had his hunch
and was riding it. Already he had begun borrowing from the banks. The
magnificent profits he made on the land he sold were turned into more
land, into more development; and instead of paying off old loans, he
contracted new ones. As he had pyramided in Dawson City, he now
pyramided in Oakland; but he did it with the knowledge that it was a
stable enterprise rather than a risky placer-mining boom.

In a small way, other men were following his lead, buying and selling
land and profiting by the improvement work he was doing. But this was
to be expected, and the small fortunes they were making at his expense
did not irritate him. There was an exception, however. One Simon
Dolliver, with money to go in with, and with cunning and courage to
back it up, bade fair to become a several times millionaire at
Daylight's expense. Dolliver, too, pyramided, playing quickly and
accurately, and keeping his money turning over and over. More than
once Daylight found him in the way, as he himself had got in the way of
the Guggenhammers when they first set their eyes on Ophir Creek.

Work on Daylight's dock system went on apace, yet was one of those
enterprises that consumed money dreadfully and that could not be
accomplished as quickly as a ferry system. The engineering
difficulties were great, the dredging and filling a cyclopean task.
The mere item of piling was anything b