urned
around slowly and rumbled back into town. Shadow Mountain rose before
them; it towered above the valley like a brooding image of hate but as
he smiled farewell at the sad-eyed Virginia something moved him to take
her hand.

"Good-by," he said, "you'll be gone when I come back. But if you get
into trouble--let me know."

He gave her hand a squeeze and Virginia looked at him sharply, then she
let her dark lashes droop.

"I'm in trouble now," she said at last. "What good did it do to tell
you?"

He winced and shrugged his shoulders, then gazed at her again with a
challenge in his eyes.

"If you'd trust _me_ more," he said very slowly, "perhaps I'd trust
_you_ more. What is it you want me to do?"

"I want you to answer me--yes or no. Shall I keep my stock, or sell it?"

"You keep it," he answered, and avoided her eye until she climbed out
and entered the house.

CHAPTER VIII

THE TIP

"Well?" inquired the Widow as her daughter came back from her ride with
Wiley Holman; but Virginia was not giving out confidences. At last, and
by a trick, she had surprised the truth from Wiley and he had told her
to keep her stock. For weeks, for months, he had told her and everybody
else that the Paymaster was not worth having; but when she had drooped
her lashes and asked him for his opinion he had told her not to sell.
Not hesitatingly nor doubtfully, or with any crafty intent; but
honestly, as a friend, perhaps as a lover--and then he had looked away.
He knew, of course, how his past actions must appear in the light of
this later advice; but he had told her the truth and gone. The question
was: What should she do?

Virginia returned to her room and locked the door while her mother
stormed around outside and at last she came to a decision. What Wiley
had told her had been said in strictest confidence and it would not be
fair to pass it on; but if he advised her not to sell he had a reason
for his advice, and that reason was not far to find. It was in that
white stone that he had stolen from her collection, and in the white
quartz he had gathered from the dump. He claimed, of course, that he had
not had her specimen assayed; but why, then, had he come back for more?
And why had he been so careful to tell her and everyone that he would
not take the Paymaster as a gift? As a matter of fact, he owned it that
minute by virtue of his delinquent tax-sale, and his goings and comings
had been nicely timed to enable hi