odd coincidence, to be
next door to the Harding one. The second day of their stay at Acatonick,
Roy, on coming down to the field from the hotel at which he and Peggy and
Miss Prescott were stopping, was much surprised to be greeted by Fanning,
with some effusiveness.

After a lot of preliminary hemming and hawing, Fanning broached to Roy
once more the proposition of selling the Golden Butterfly.

"But I thought you had a fine type of aeroplane of your own," said Roy,
wondering at this renewal of Fanning's offer.

"So I have," was the rejoinder, "but now that I have established my
business on a paying business basis I can handle another type. You know
mine is a biplane model."

Roy nodded. He had no liking for Fanning, but the other was so effusive
that he felt it was incumbent on him to meet the other lad half way, as
the saying is.

"I'd like to have a look at your craft sometime," he said.

"Not much you won't," rejoined Fanning, quickly, "you'll see her on the
day she wins the big prize and not before."

"You seem to have it won already," rejoined Roy, rather contemptuously.

"Oh, yes," was the confident reply, "I'm going to simply fly rings round
you and the rest, so you'd better take up my offer now, for after the
race your Golden Butterfly stock won't be worth a penny."

"I'm not so certain about that," was the answer.

"Then you won't take up my offer. I'll raise it another two hundred."

Roy smiled and shook his head. Something in his refusal angered the other
lad.

"Well as you wish," he said, strolling off, "but dad has been pretty
lenient with you up to date. As you won't meet us half way, though I'm
going to advise him to force you to sell the Golden Butterfly."

"How?"

"By foreclosing that mortgage without further delay."

Fanning whipped the words out with a vicious intonation. All his mean
nature surged up into his face as he spoke. Roy breathed a little
quicker. But outwardly he was calm and cold as ice.

"That's your privilege," he said shortly, turning away, but that night he
and Peggy had a troubled discussion about ways and means, and it became
more than ever evident to them how much depended on winning the five
thousand dollar prize.

There were several aspirants in the juvenile class on the grounds as well
as fliers of more mature years, for Mr. Higgins had interested some other
capitalists, and it had been decided to make quite an event out of the
aerial meet.

On the day b