did," he assented with a weary sigh. "Well, what do you want me
to do?"

"Why, nothing," she returned. "I'm going to sell out to Mr. Eells
and----"

"To Eells!" he yelled. "Well, by the holy, jumping Judas--how much is he
going to give you?"

"Forty thousand dollars and----"

"_Forty thousand!_ Say, she's worth forty _million_! For
cripes' sake--have you signed the papers?"

"No, I haven't, but----"

"Well, then, _don't_! Don't you do it--don't you dare to sign
anything, not even a receipt for your money! Oh, my Lord, I just got
here in time!"

"But I'm going to," ended Wilhelmina, and then for the first time he
noticed the look in her eye. It was as cold and steely as a
gun-fighter's.

"Why--what's the matter?" he clamored. "You ain't sore at me, are you?
But even if you are, don't sign any papers until I tell you about that
mine. How much ore have you got in sight?"

"Why, just that one vein, where it goes under the black rock----"

"They's two others!" he panted, "that I covered up on purpose. Oh, my
Lord, this is simply awful."

"Two others!" echoed Wilhelmina, and then she sat dumb while a scared
look crept into her eyes. "Well, I didn't know that," she went on at
last, "and of course we lost everything, that other time. So when Mr.
Eells offered me forty thousand cash and agreed to release you from that
grubstake contract----"

"You throwed the whole thing away, eh?"

He had turned sullen now and petulantly discontented and the fire
flashed back into her eyes.

"Well, is that all the thanks I get? I thought you _wanted_ that
contract!"

"I did!" he complained, "but if you'd left me alone I'd've got it away
from him for nothing. But forty thousand dollars! Say, what's your
doggoned hurry--have you got to sell out the first day?"

"No, but that time before, when he tried to buy us out I held on until I
didn't get anything. And father has been waiting for his road so
long----"

"Oh, that road again!" snarled Wunpost. "Is that all you think about?
You've thrown away millions of dollars!"

"Well, anyway, I've got the road!" she answered with spirit, "and that's
more than I did before. If I'd followed my own judgment instead of
taking your advice----"

"Your judgment!" he mocked; "say, shake yourself, kid--you've pulled the
biggest bonehead of a life-time."

"I don't care!" she answered, "I'll get forty thousand dollars. And if
Father builds his road our mine will be worth millions, so why