oon reappeared and entered the office.

Don Luis, after indicating seats to the young Americans, crossed
to a ponderous safe, toyed with the combination lock, threw open
the door and then brought out a ledger that he deposited on one
of the flat-top desks. Five minutes later his daughter Francesca
entered the room.

"Now, what part is the girl to play here?" wondered Tom, instantly.
"If I know anything of human nature she's a sweet and honest
girl. She is no rascal, like her father. Yet he has sent for
her to play some part!"

CHAPTER IX

DON LUIS SHOWS HIS CLAWS

Senorita Francesca greeted her guests with extreme courtesy.

"She's a fine young woman," thought Harry, with a guilty feeling.
"Blazes, but it's going to come hard to show her father up as
a scoundrel."

"_Chiquita_," (pet) called her father, "it has not been the custom
of this country to train our women in the ways of business. But
you are my only child. Every _peso_ (dollar) that I earn and
save is for you one of these days. I have much money, but I crave
more, and it is all for you, _chiquita_. It is my wish to see
you, one of these days, a very queen of wealth, as you are already
a queen of goodness and tenderness. Since you must handle the
great fortune that I am building for you I have concluded to override
the customs of our people for generations. In other words, I
am going to begin to train you, _chiquita_, in business."

"Business?" murmured the girl. "Ah! That word frightens me--I
am so ignorant."

"Your first lesson shall not tire or dismay you," promised Don
Luis, gently. "Now, place your chair close beside mine, and look
over this ledger with me. I shall not attempt to make you comprehend
too much at first."

With pencil and paper beside the ledger, Don Luis read off many
items. Occasionally he did some figuring on the sheet of paper,
as though to make the matters more clear to his daughter. She
made a very pretty picture, trying to follow her father's explanations,
but the perplexed wrinkling of her brow showed how hard it was
for her to do so.

The figures that Don Luis took from his ledger all tended to show
the immensity of the wealth already produced from _El Sombrero_.
Tom and Harry listened courteously, for they had been invited
to join the group.

"You are tired, _chiquita_," said her father, at last. "I have
taken you too far on our first excursion into the realm of finance.
This morning we wil