ence and desire.

"Now don't you girls ask too many questions if you are displeased or
delighted at what we tell you," began John, nodding to Tom to proceed
with his story.

Having promised not to interrupt the important conference, the girls sat
expectantly smiling at the chair-man of the meeting.

"I have to preface our report on Choko's Find, by telling you-all about
a little company that was incorporated in New York several months ago.
Father wrote me all about it.

"Dr. Evans is a very clever inventor, as you now know, and having this
unusual device for cutting stones by machine, he called on father's law
firm to secure a patent on it for him. Latimer Brothers make a specialty
of patents, you know.

"Well, the doctor had but little money for the costs, and father saw a
great fortune in the invention if it was properly financed. So articles
of agreement were drawn up, that Latimer Brothers were to pay all costs
of getting the machine on the market, and for this they were to share in
the stock of the company.

"This was done and when the papers were ready and the shares of stock
divided between the principals, an injunction was served on Dad by a
tricky company in New York which claimed prior rights to the patent.
This has held up everything so that Dr. Evans is not sure whether he
will ever realize anything out of his invention or not. Of course, we
are fighting the legality of Ratzger & Wriggley's injunction and claims.

"Having risked all his little bank account on the outcome of this idea
of his, the doctor now hasn't a cent to bless himself with. That is why
Kenneth Evans was sent to work this summer, to earn his own keep.

"Fortunately, Dad had a letter from Jim, who was out in the mountains
with a government survey crew, in which it said that they were short a
few good men and two young apprentices such as he himself was. Kenneth
and Jim attended the same school at home, so Dad telephoned Dr. Evans
about the opening. That is how Ken happened to come West.

"Now I hear that the Courts uphold Dr. Evans in his right to the patent,
and the company can go on with their plans. If they can find suitable
material to mine and without too much expense for apparatus, they will
start in at once with a close corporation. But should they find it will
take great capital to mine the right kind of stones, the original
members of the company may have to sell half of their rights, to get
sufficient money to launch the