one to deny her admission, no
matter how queer her garb. A hundred thousand dollars' worth of gems!
The very figures intrigued him and--diamonds are readily negotiable.
There would be a natural risk attached to the handling of so large an
amount. A thousand things might happen to a treasure chest of that
size. Gray began to believe that his luck had changed.

"Where does Mr. Briskow live?" he inquired.

"Out beyond Ranger, somewhere. But--"

"I'm going to visit that field, anyhow. This will give me an excuse."

"Nonsense!" The jeweler did not like to have fun poked at him. For some
time he refused to take the offer seriously, and even when his host
insisted that he would enjoy the lark, he expostulated: "Why, the idea
is ridiculous! You--Calvin Gray, the financier, peddling jewelry? Ha!
Outside of the fact that you wouldn't, couldn't do it, it's not the
safest thing in the world to carry a small fortune in stones through
the oil fields."

"Of course you insure it against theft?"

"That's the point. We can't. Have you ever heard of 'high-jackers'?
That's the Texas term for hold-up men, robbers. Well, the country is
full of them."

"Excellent! There no longer is any question about my going," Gray
announced, firmly. "I am bored; I am stale; a thrill, of whatever sort,
would stir my blood. Animated by purely selfish motives, I now insist
upon a serious consideration of my offer. First, you say I 'wouldn't,
couldn't'; I assure you that I would, could--and _shall_, provided I
can qualify as a salesman."

Coverly admitted without much argument that anybody could probably
effect a sale in this instance, if the diamonds were plainly marked
with their prices; it would be a mere question of displaying the goods.
That was not the point. Gray was a rich, a busy man--the idea was
fantastic.

"Why, you're offering to do this as an accommodation to an old friend,
and your time is probably worth more than our whole profit on the sale
would amount to."

"My time is worth nothing. If you hesitate to intrust this king's
ransom to me, I'll go personally responsible for its value. That's
fair, isn't it?"

"Don't be silly. How could I pay you if you did go?"

"Um-m!" This idea, it seemed, had not occurred to Mr. Gray. It was
plain that money meant nothing to him.

"You see? We couldn't permit--"

"I have it. We'll divorce friendship and sentiment entirely from the
discussion and reduce it to a strictly business basis. You s