em with fruit trees, what might they not bring
him? Honor above the highest, wealth beyond the greatest, would be his.
He had made a beginning. The great Sangre de Cristo dam was almost a
fact; only a few more cubic yards of stone and mortar, then the gates
would be closed and the reservoir begin to fill. Even now ditches were
being cut to lead water to his fields, thousands of trees were on his
ranch ready to be transplanted.

He had made a beginning, but what a paltry one in the face of
possibilities. There was the Pico ranch. Even that was not paid for.
When paid for, how was it to be developed? The company had the water; he
had the land. The land was worthless without the water. They could wait;
he couldn't. He was president of the company; but he was powerless. He
raged at the idea. A thought occurred to him and it grew in strength.
The company owed its existence to him; in some way it should make
acknowledgment. He needed money. He thought of the fifty thousand
dollars in his private box in the company's vault. He had intended to
deposit it in San Francisco, but one thing after another had prevented.
Was it providential? The Pacific bank had failed. In their statements
fifty thousand dollars was unaccounted for. The company's pass-book was
again in the office; but it did not show a balance within fifty thousand
dollars. Mellin and himself were the only ones who knew why. The company
owed more to him than he would ever receive, beside, he himself was a
heavy stockholder, and he had a perfect right to do what he would with
his own. Still, his way was not clear. Fifty thousand dollars was not
enough. Without more, what he had was useless. He would wait. If he
failed to raise the money, this would be a sign to him that his course
was not approved.

Since his first meeting with Mrs. MacGregor and Uncle Sid, Elijah had
sought out Mrs. MacGregor and she had artfully made this easy for him.
In these interviews, she had skilfully drawn from him the story of his
life in California, his present condition and his future hopes. She was
daily convinced of her wisdom in seeking out Elijah. There yet remained
the pleasing task of benefiting herself by her wisdom.

Mrs. MacGregor was an intellectual woman. She had not been born that
way; she had deliberately achieved it. Nature had denied her personal
charms. Her forehead was high and broad, and no amount of coaxing was
sufficient to induce her straight, black hair to drape itse