chair, a little aside and, seating herself before the mirror, reached to
take the scarf and exposed a folded paper on the dresser. "I found that
envelope pinned inside the hat," she said still diplomatically, though a
touch of humor shaded her lips. "There's a ten dollar piece in it and two
and a half in silver. Probably it's your change."

But Banks turned the envelope and read pencilled across the front: "There
isn't any duplicate, but thanks just the same."

CHAPTER XX

KERNEL AND PEACH

After that little wedding journey down in Oregon, Banks returned to
Seattle to engage a crew for the first step to reclamation; combining
pleasure with business, he brought Annabel and registered at the New
Washington Hotel. And here Daniels, detailed to learn something in regard
to the Iditarod strike where, it was rumored, the Morgansteins were
negotiating for the miner's valuable holdings, finally traced him.

"Sure we have a Banks of Alaska with us," the clerk responded, smiling,
and turned the page to show the _Press_ representative the strained,
left-handed signature. "He's a sawed-off specimen with a face like a
peachstone; but he said if he put down his regular name, the boys likely
would miss his trail."

"Mrs. Annabel Green Banks Hesperides Vale," read Jimmie.

"Lucky Banks Iditarod and Hesperides Vale.

"This looks like my man, sure; but who is Mrs. Green-Banks? His wife or
mother?"

"Bride," the clerk replied laconically. "It's a sort of overdue honeymoon.
But she's rather smart looking; fine eyes and tall enough to make up for
him. They're a pair."

"I see. Kernel and peach. But Hesperides Vale," Daniels went on
thoughtfully. "Why, that's in the new fruit belt over near Wenatchee, my
old stamping-ground."

The clerk nodded. "She owns some orchard lands over there and to hear him
talk, you'd think she had the money; Until it comes to ordering; then the
Queen of Sheba isn't in it. 'I guess we can stand the best room in the
house,' he says. And when I showed them the blue suite and told them
Tarquina, the prima donna opening at the Metropolitan to-night, had the
companion suite in rose, it's: 'Do you think you can put up with this
blue, Annabel?' But there comes the cameo now. No, the other way, from the
street."

Jimmie met the prospector midway across the lobby. "Mr. Banks?" he began
genially. "I am the lucky one this time; I came in purposely to see you. I
am Daniels, representing the _Seattle Pres