fire; and he sat down impatiently
to wait. Then as Rimrock slouched in and called the meeting to order
Stoddard picked up a piece of blank paper and began to tear it into
long, slender shreds.

"Well, to get down to business," said Rimrock at last after the various
reports had been read, "we have come here, I take it, for a purpose."

He raised his eyes and met Stoddard's defiantly, but Mary looked away.

"Yes, we have," answered Stoddard with business-like directness, "I
have a proposition to make. As I suppose you both know I have bought
up the claim of Mr. Bray, as decided by the court. That claim, of
course, practically invalidates your stock since it takes away
possession of the mine; but I am willing to make you a generous offer.
Our undivided profits--minus the amount, of course, that our General
Manager has squandered on his defense--will be shared among us, pro
rata. This will be in cash, and in consideration of the payment, I
shall expect you to turn in your stock."

"What? For nothing?" cried Mary; but Rimrock did not flinch though his
face became set with rage.

"It can hardly be called nothing," replied Stoddard severely, "when
your own share comes to over two hundred thousand dollars. And as for
Mr. Jones, he understands very well that I can claim every dollar he
has."

"Well, that may be so, since you have a claim against him, but my stock
is unencumbered. And since my share of the profits is in no sense a
payment I shall decline to turn in my stock."

"Very well," answered Stoddard, his voice low and colorless, "I shall
turn the matter over to my attorney and refuse to vote the dividend."

"Ah, I see," she murmured and glanced at Rimrock who answered with a
curl of the lip.

"Mr. President," she said, "I move that the money at present in our
treasury be set aside as a profit and divided among the stockholders
pro rata."

"Just a moment!" warned Stoddard as Rimrock seemed about to fall in
with her, "you can never collect that money. I have notified Mr.
Lockhart, the treasurer of our Company, that I will hold him personally
responsible for every dollar he pays out, without my official O.K. You
understand what that means. Within less than a month, through my suit
now in court, I can claim every share of Mr. Jones' stock. Its value,
in law, has been reduced to nothing, outside of this undivided profit;
and that I offer you now. If you refuse I shall get judgment, claim
his entire sh