ieve that
he had had a bad dream and that Gray had merely been talking to hear
his own voice. He devoutly hoped that such would prove to be the case.

A time came, however, when his apprehensions were roused afresh, and it
was Barbara Parker who rekindled them. She had come to the bank with an
excellent proposition and was doing her best to sell it; in the course
of her conversation she referred to Gray in a manner that gave Nelson
cause for thought.

"I've looked this lease over," "Bob" was saying, "and I've seen the
books. It has been producing a hundred and fifty barrels a day
steadily. Production like that is cheap at a thousand dollars a barrel.
It is worth a hundred and fifty thousand dollars, Henry."

"Why is it offered for seventy-five?"

"Bob" shrugged. "How did a 'boll weevil' like this Jackson ever make
even a hundred-and-fifty-barrel well, in the first place? Where did he
get the money to drill? He is sick of the game, I suppose, and would be
satisfied to get his money back with a reasonable profit. It is a find,
really."

"Looks so, for a fact. How did you get on to it, 'Bob'?"

"Purely by chance. Through a man named Mallow, a 'scientist' of some
sort with a magic tester." The girl laughed.

"Don't know him."

"Mallow is as queer as the rest of his kind, and I put no faith in his
story until I investigated. But the well is there and doing a hundred
and fifty barrels as regular as clockwork."

"You'll have no trouble in selling it."

"Then you're not interested?"

"Interested? Yes, indeed." Nelson nodded. "I'm quite excited, as a
matter of fact, but--I can't handle it at this particular time."

"Frankly, I'm glad you can't," Barbara told him, "for now I can sell it
to Mr. Gray."

"Gray?" Henry looked up quickly. "If you wanted it for him, why did you
bring it to me?"

"Because Mr. Mallow insisted. He felt sure you'd jump at it. Besides,
Mr. Gray is away and prompt action is necessary. I'll wire him at once
and ask him to accept my judgment."

"Will he do so?"

The girl colored faintly at the tone of this inquiry. "Perhaps. I think
he believes in me, and--that's more than you do. It's mighty flattering
to a girl to have a man like Mr. Gray believe in her. Why, I am
practically his agent! He buys and sells through me whenever he can."

"He's buying and selling, is he? He said something about entering this
field in a big way--"

"He's in." "Bob's" eyes were sparkling. "Oh, things are loo