or them, wouldn't they? Might even take
something off the price, under the circumstances?"

"I suppose they might." He made an impatient gesture. "But that's just
one--"

"One item, I know. But it's the main item. Then you could rent the
office and loft over the old station, couldn't you? And move the old
Star press in there this afternoon."

"This afternoon," said Barry calmly.

"Well, we don't gain anything by waiting. You can write a manly and
affecting editorial,"--her always irrepressible laughter broke out,
"full of allusions to the phoenix, you know! And my regular Saturday
column is all done, and Miss Porter can send in something, and there's
any amount of stuff about the Folsom lawsuit. And Young, Mason and
Company ought to take at least a page to advertise their premium day
to-morrow. I'll come down as soon as you've moved--"

Barry reached for his hat.

"The thing can't be done," he announced firmly, "but, by George, Sid,
you would give a field mouse courage! And what a grandstand play, if we
COULD put it through! There's not a second to be lost, though. But look
here," and with sudden gravity he took both her hands, "it'll take some
more money, you know."

"I have some more money," she answered serenely.

"Well, I'll GET some!" he declared emphatically. "It won't be so much,
either, once we get started. And so old Ferguson wanted to sell, did
he?"

"He did. And we'll buy the STAR yet." They were on the path now.
"Telephone me when you can," she said, "and don't lose a minute now!
Good luck!"

And Barry's great stride had taken him half-way down River Street, his
hands in his pockets, his mind awhirl with plans, before it occurred to
him that he had not told her the news of Hetty, after all.

CHAPTER XVIII

On that same afternoon, several of the most influential members of the
Santa Paloma Woman's Club met informally at Mrs. Carew's house. Some of
the directors were there, Miss Pratt, Mrs. Lloyd and Mrs. Adams, and of
course Mrs. White, who had indeed been instrumental in arranging the
meeting. They had met to discuss Mrs. Burgoyne's plan of using the
clubhouse as a meeting place for the Old Paloma factory girls. All
these ladies were quite aware that their verdict, however unofficial,
would influence the rest of the club, and that what this group of a
dozen or fifteen decided upon to-day would practically settle the
matter.

Mrs. Willard White, hitherto serenely supreme in this littl