person, and need time to think over things."

"Certainly, certainly; personally I come to sudden conclusions, and once
I make up my mind, I never change it."

"A most admirable gift. I wish I possessed it."

Lord Stranleigh said nothing of this interview to Constance Maturin,
beyond telling her that the acquisition of stock appeared to be
hopeless, as indeed proved to be the case.

"Boscombe must be a stubborn person," he said.

"Oh, he's all that," the girl replied, with a sigh. "He cares for one
thing only, the making of money, and in that I must admit he has been
very successful."

"Well, we've got a little cash of our own," said Stranleigh, with a
laugh.

Miss Maturin and Mrs. Vanderveldt celebrated a national holiday by the
greatest entertainment ever given in that district. The mills had been
shut down for a week, and every man, woman and child in the valley city
had been invited up to the new town on the heights. There was a brass
band, and a sumptuous spread of refreshments, all free to the immense
crowd. The ladies, for days before, visited everyone in the valley, and
got a promise of attendance, but to make assurance doubly sure, an
amazing corps of men was organised, equipped with motor cars, which
scoured the valley from Powerville downwards, gathering in such remnants
of humanity as for any reason had neglected to attend the show. Miss
Maturin said she was resolved this entertainment should be a feature
unique in the history of the State.

The shutting down of the mills had caused the water in the immense dam
to rise, so that now the sluices at the top added to the picturesqueness
of the scene by supplying waterfalls more than sixty feet high, a
splendid view of which was obtainable from the new city on the heights.
Suddenly it was noticed that these waterfalls increased in power, until
their roar filled the valley. At last the whole lip of the immense dam
began to trickle, and an ever augmenting Niagara of waters poured over.

"Great heavens!" cried Boscombe, who was present to sneer at these
activities, "there must have been a cloud-burst in the mountains!"

He shouted for the foreman.

"Where are the tenders of the dam?" he cried. "Send them to lower those
sluices, and let more water out."

"Wait a moment," said Constance Maturin, who had just come out of the
main telephone building. "There can be no danger, Mr. Boscombe. You
always said that dam was strong enough, when I protested it wasn