een Judge Richmond?"

"I have n't ever seen him."

"You won't--if Mother 'Oward knows anything. 'E ain't able to get out.
'E's sick--apoplexy--a stroke. Rodaine's taken advantage of it."

"How?"

"'Ow does anybody take advantage of somebody that's sick? 'Ow does
anybody get a 'old on a person? Through money! Judge Richmond 'ad a
lot of it. Then 'e got sick. Rodaine, 'e got 'old of that money. Now
Judge Richmond 'as to ask 'im for every penny he gets--and 'e does what
Rodaine says."

"But a judge--"

"Judges is just like anybody else when they're bedridden and only 'arf
their faculties working. The girl, so Mother 'Oward tells me, is about
twenty now. That made 'er just a little kid, and motherless, when
Rodaine got in 'is work. She ain't got a thing to sye. And she loves
'er father. Suppose," Harry waved a hand, "that you loved somebody
awful strong, and suppose that person was under a influence? Suppose
it meant 'is 'appiness and 'is 'ealth for you to do like 'e wanted you?
Wouldn't you go with a man? What's more, if 'e don't die pretty soon,
you 'll see a wedding!"

"You mean--?"

"She 'll be Mrs. Maurice Rodaine. She loves 'er father enough to do
it--after 'er will's broken. And I don't care 'oo it is; there ain't a
woman in the world that's got the strength to keep on saying no to a
sick father!"

Again Robert Fairchild filled an oil cup, again he tinkered about the
pumps. Then he straightened.

"How are we going to work this mine?" he asked shortly. Harry stared
at him.

"'Ow should I know? You own it!"

"I don't mean that way. We were fifty-fifty from the minute you showed
up. There never has been any other thought in my mind--"

"Fifty-fifty? You're making me a bloated capitalist!"

"I hope I will. Or rather, I hope that you 'll make such a thing
possible for both of us. But I was talking about something else; are
we going to work hard and fight it out day and night for awhile until
we can get things going, or are we just going at it by easy stages?"

"Suppose," answered Harry after a communication with his magic
mustache, "that we go dye and night 'til we get the water out? It
won't be long. Then we 'll 'ave to work together. You 'll need my
vast store of learning and enlightenment!" he grinned.

"Good. But the pumping will last through tomorrow night. Can you take
the night trick?"

"Sure. But why?"

"I want to go to that dance!"

Harry whistled. Harry'