ove board about it even if I am an adventurer."

"What did he say? How could you put it in a telegram?"

"Red consoles marooned sweet post delayed."

"Dear me! What gibberish is that?"

"It's from our private code. It means, 'Going to marry your daughter if
she is willing. With your consent, I hope.'"

"And he answered? I'll take the English version, please."

"'Consent refused. No fortune hunters need apply.' That is not a direct
quotation, but it conveys his meaning accurately enough."

"So I'm to be cut off with a shilling." Her eyes bubbled with delight.

"I reckon so. Of course I had to come back at him."

"How, may I ask?" She was vastly amused at this novel correspondence.

"Oh, I merely said in substance that I was glad to hear it because you
couldn't think now I wanted to marry you for your money. I added that
if things came my way we would send him cards later. One doesn't like to
slang one's wife's father, so I drew it mild."

"I don't believe a word of it. You wouldn't dare."

That she admired and at the same time distrusted was so apparent that he
drew a yellow envelope from his pocket and handed it to her.

"This is his latest contribution to the literature of frankness. You
see his feelings overflowed so promptly he had to turn loose in good
American talk right off the bat. Couldn't wait for the code."

She read aloud. "Your resignation as General Counsel Transcontinental
will be accepted immediately. Turn over papers to Walker and go to the
devil." It was signed "Powers."

"That's all, is it? No further exchange of compliments," she wanted to
know.

"That's all, except that he is reading my resignation by this time. I
sent it two hours ago. In it I tried to convey to him my sense of regret
at being obliged to sever business relations owing to the fact that
I was about to contract family ties with him. I hoped that he would
command me in any way he saw fit and was sorry we couldn't come to an
agreement in the present instance."

"I don't believe you're a bit sorry. Don't you realize what an expensive
luxury you're getting in me and how serious a thing it is to cast off
heaven knows how many millions?"

"Oh, I realize it!"

"But you expect him to come round when he has had time to think it
over?"

"It's hard for me to conceive of anybody not wanting me for a
son-in-law," he admitted cheerfully.

Valencia nodded. "He'll like you all the better for standing up to him.
He's fond of A