ed to talk it over so much between 'em and
Cap'n Jeth and I have talked so much since--was fifty thousand. An awful
lot of money, isn't it, Mr. Bangs?"

Her tone was awe-stricken as she mentioned the amount. Galusha gravely
admitted that it was an "awful lot of money." All sums were awful to
him; he would have agreed if the Wellmouth Development Company had been
capitalized from one thousand to a million. Miss Phipps went on.

"They put out the stock somethin' like this: The Eagle folks took pretty
near half, somewhere around twelve hundred shares, I think they had.
And Raish he took five hundred shares, and Cap'n Jeth four hundred, and
father--after listenin' to Jethro and Raish talk about dividends and
profit sharin' and such till, as he said, the tar on his top riggin'
began to melt, he drew out money from the savin's bank and sold some
other bonds and stocks he had and went in for two hundred and fifty
shares. Twenty dollars a share it was; did I tell you that? Yes, five
thousand dollars father put into that Development Company. It seemed
like a lot even then; but, my soul and body, WHAT a lot it seems to me
now!"

She paused for an instant, then sighed, and continued.

"If you've figured this all out in your head, Mr. Bangs," she said,
"which I suppose you haven't--?"

Galusha, surprised by the direct question, started, colored, and
guiltily admitted the correctness of her supposition.

"I--I haven't," he faltered. "Dear me, no. In fact I--ah--doubt if I am
capable of doing such a thing."

"Well, never mind, you don't have to. What it amounted to was that the
Eagle folks had twelve hundred shares and Raish and Jeth and father had
eleven hundred and fifty together. You see, neither side would let the
other have more'n half, or even quite half, because then whichever had
it could control things. So the remainin' one hundred and fifty shares
was sold around Wellmouth and Trumet. Doctor Powers has a few shares
and Eben Taylor's got some, and so have lots of folks, scattered around
here. You see, all hands were anxious to get in, it looked like a real
good investment.

"'But,' says father--right here in this very room I heard him say it
one night--'it's that one hundred and fifty shares that worry me. If
the Eagle crowd ever COULD buy up those shares they would control, after
all, and freeze us out. Freezin' is their business, anyhow,' he said,
and laughed that big laugh of his. Seems as if I could hear him lau