hinking of investing, Mr. Herrick," responded
Eve, dryly. "If there's any reason why I shouldn't know the name, that's
sufficient."

Wade observed her troubledly.

"I--I beg your pardon, Miss Walton. I didn't mean to be rude. The mine
has a name, of course, and--and sometime I'll tell it to you. But just
now--there's a reason--"

"It sounds," laughed Eve, "as though you were talking of a cereal
coffee. Indeed, though, I don't want to know if you don't want me to."

"But I do! That is--sometime--"

"I understand; it's a guilty secret. But you were telling me about my
cousin. When did he die, Mr. Herrick?"

"Last August. We'd both been working pretty hard and Ed was sort of run
down, I reckon. He got typhoid and went quick. I got him to Pueblo as
soon as I learned what the trouble was, but the doctor there said he
never had a chance. We buried him in Pueblo."

Wade was looking down at his roughened hands and spoke so low that Eve
had to bend forward a little to hear him.

"It--it was a pretty decent funeral," he added simply. "There were seven
carriages."

"Really?" she murmured.

"Yes." He raised his head and looked at her a trifle wistfully. "You
can't understand just what Ed's death meant to me, Miss Walton. You see,
he was about the only real friend I ever had, the only fellow I ever got
real close to. And he was such a thoroughbred, and--and was so darn--so
mighty good to me! I tell you, it sort of knocked me out for awhile."

"I'm sorry I didn't know him," said Eve, softly. "I'm sure I'd have
liked him as well as you did. And perhaps he'd have liked me."

"I'm sure of that," said Wade with conviction.

"I suppose he never spoke of me?"

"Only once, I think. Before he died he told me he had made a will and
left me his share of the mine and everything else he had. I--oh, well, I
didn't like it and said so. 'You'll have to take it,' he answered.
'There's no one else to leave it to; I've got no relatives left except
an uncle and a cousin, and they have all the money they need. You see,
he didn't know about--"

"I understand. And even had papa been alive he would have accepted
nothing from Edward, I'm certain."

"But you--"

"Nor I."

"I'm sorry to hear you say that," said Wade, frowningly. "I've been
thinking that perhaps--something might be done. There's so much money,
Miss Walton, and it doesn't belong to me. Don't you think--"

"No." Eve shook her head gently, but decisively. "It's nice of yo