et. He'll tip me off when he intends to drill through, and
if you like we'll go out there and see what happens. If it comes in, it
will mean a big play on surrounding property; prices will double,
treble. My theory is this--"

Gray's head was close to the speaker's, but, although he pretended to
listen to her words and to follow the tracings of her finger with
studious consideration, in reality his attention was fixed upon the
tantalizing curve of her smooth cheek and throat. In some perplexity of
spirit he asked himself why it was that mere proximity to this wholly
sensible and matter-of-fact young creature filled him with such a vague
yet pleasurable excitement. He realized that he was not easily
thrilled; feminine beauty, feminine charm were nothing new,
nevertheless at this moment he experienced an intense elation, an
eagerness of spirit, such as he had not felt since he was in the first
resistless vigor of youth, and his voice, when he spoke, carried an
unconscious quality strange to his ears.

It was the more bewildering because nothing had happened to awaken such
feelings. He had met this unworldly, inexperienced prairie girl but
twice, and on her part she had betrayed no particular attraction for
him. As a matter of fact, she probably considered him an old man--young
girls were like that. Of course, that was absurd. He was right in his
prime, youth sang through his veins at this moment, and yet--she must
like him, he must have somehow impressed her. That was fortunate, in
view of her relations with Henry Nelson; luck was coming his way, and
she would undoubtedly prove useful. The last thing Calvin Gray
contemplated was a sentimental woman complication, but on account of
this girl's peculiar knowledge it seemed to him the part of wisdom to
cultivate her--to see as much of her as possible.

"If you will come over to the office, I'll show you how I think that
pool lies," Barbara was saying, and Gray came to with a start.

It was midafternoon when he left the Parker office--at least he thought
it must be midafternoon until he consulted his watch and discovered
that, to all intents and purposes, he had completely lost two hours. An
amazing loss, truly. There was no lack of youthful vigor in Calvin
Gray's movements at any time, but now there was an unusual lightness to
his tread and his lips puckered into a joyous whistle. It had been a
great day, a day of the widest extremes, a day of adventure and
romance. And t