llows to consent to my giving the machine a trial. I got
around Blaisdell pretty easy after I had flattered him a little, but
that Rivers is a beast! Said he didn't see why I was so anxious to
have them test the machine, and all that! I explained, of course, that
this was the first I had ever brought it out into the west, and they
were so well known that if I could only get their endorsement, and so
on and so forth. Oh, I want to tell you all about it later, and if you
don't acknowledge that I'm a born diplomat, I'll give up; but at
present, my first business must be to allay these pangs of hunger,
they are becoming unendurable."

"Certainly, we will go to the house at once," said Houston, preparing
to close the office.

"Wait a minute!" said Van Dorn, diving furiously into his pockets; "I
attended to that little business that you wrote me about, just
according to directions, and I want you to see if it is perfectly
satisfactory before we go any further, and then I'll have it off my
mind; why, confound it! where is that thing anyway?" he exclaimed,
turning a half dozen pockets inside out, and emptying a heterogeneous
collection upon the desk before him. "Oh, here it is! I knew I had it
safe somewhere; there now, Everard, I took as much pains as if it had
been for myself, it was one of the finest stones I could find; I think
it is a beauty, and I hope you will like it."

He handed a small case to Houston, partially open, from whose depths
of white velvet a superb diamond ring flashed forth its wondrous rays,
seeming almost to brighten the dingy little room in which they were
standing.

"It is indeed a beauty," said Houston, "perfect! I could not have made
a better selection myself. I knew I could trust to your good judgment,
Arthur, and I am exceedingly obliged; I'll do as much for you when you
are ready for a ring of this kind."

"All right, I'm glad if you like it. I believe I sent my congratulations
by letter, but I'll renew them now. I only hope the lady herself will
be pleased with the selection."

On their way to the house, Van Dorn said: "Ned Rutherford has gone to
the coast to meet his brother, I suppose."

"Yes; you probably know he and Morton are intending to stop here on
their return?"

"Yes; Mort, as soon as he found you were here, and especially after I
gave him an inkling of what was going on, said he should certainly
stop as he came back. You ought to have seen him though, when I told
him you we