ob of Secretary?"

Mary Fortune thought a moment, then nodded her head and waited to hear
what he would say.

"All right," he said, "I'll telegraph East and have the appointment
O.K.'d. Then there's another matter. We're going to lay that railroad
across the desert as they never laid one before--six months will see it
done--but even that don't suit us. We're going to lay out our millsite
and have everything ready the day that railroad is done. Then we're
going to erect the mill and install the machinery and go to throwing
dirt. Eight months at the least and we'll have a producing property
shipping trainloads of ore every day. Well, what I was going to
say--there's a man named Jepson, a mining engineer, coming out to
superintend that work and I want you to give him all the assistance you
can and help boost the thing along. That's all--I'll send you a check
and the papers--you can address me at the County Jail."

He rose hastily and started for the door, then looked back with
questioning eyes.

"Very well," she said and he dropped his head and slouched heavily out
the door.

Mary Fortune sat alone, staring absently after him. What a
contradictory man he was. And yet, how well he understood. He knew
without telling that she would not take his hand so he kept it behind
his back; but he knew at the same time that she would attend to his
business while his address was the County Jail. And no plea for
sympathy, no word of explanation; just business, and then he was gone.
His life was at stake, and yet he spoke of nothing but the mine. "A
little trouble!" And he had killed a man. Was he a savage or a
superman?

The mail the next day brought a note from him, written with a lead
pencil on a piece of torn paper. It had the jail smell about it, a
rank, caged-animal odor that she learned to recognize later, but there
was no mention of any jail. He enclosed a check and a power of
attorney, with directions for buying some land--and then there came a
telegram from New York.

M. R. Fortune,
Gunsight, Arizona.

Wire from Henry Jones intimating trouble Tecolote claims. Your
appointment agreeable. Spare no expense safeguard claims. Jepson
superintendent arrives Friday. Wire particulars.

W. H. Stoddard.

One look at that signature and the Wall Street address and Mary Fortune
saw with sudden clearness what had been mystery and moonshine for
months. W. H. Stoddard was Whitney H. Stoddard, the man who