[Frontispiece: They stopped and had a drink of the cool water]

THE EARLY BIRD

_A Business Man's Love Story_

BY

GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER

Author of

THE MAKING OF BOBBY BURNIT

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY

ARTHUR WILLIAM BROWN

INDIANAPOLIS

THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY

PUBLISHERS

COPYRIGHT 1910

THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

 I A VERY BUSY YOUNG MAN II MR. TURNER PLUNGES III A MATTER OF DELICACY IV GREEK MEETS GREEK V MISS JOSEPHINE'S FATHER VI MARASCHINO CHOCOLATES VII A DANCE NUMBER VIII NOT SAM'S FAULT THIS TIME IX A VIOLENT FLIRT X A PIANOLA TRAINING XI THE WESTLAKES INVEST XII ANOTHER MISSED APPOINTMENT XIII A RIDE WITH MISS STEVENS XIV MATRIMONIAL ELIGIBILITY XV THE HERO OF THE HOUR XVI AN INTERRUPTED PROPOSAL XVII SHE CALLS HIM SAM! XVIII A BUSINESS PARTNER

ILLUSTRATIONS

They stopped and had a drink of the cool water . . . _Frontispiece_

They waylaid him on the porch

Hepseba studied him from head to foot

Sam played again the plaintive little air

"I don't like to worry you, Sam"

"Excuse me!" stammered Mr. Stevens

THE EARLY BIRD

CHAPTER I

WHEREIN A VERY BUSY YOUNG MAN STARTS ON AN ABSOLUTE REST

The youngish-looking man who so vigorously swung off the train atRestview, wore a pair of intensely dark blue eyes which immediatelyphotographed everything within their range of vision--flat greencountry, shaded farm-houses, encircling wooded hills and all--weighedit and sorted it and filed it away for future reference; and hisclothes clung on him with almost that enviable fit found only inadvertisements. Immediately he threw his luggage into the tonneau ofthe dingy automobile drawn up at the side of the lonely platform, andpromptly climbed in after it. Spurred into purely mechanical action bythis silent decisiveness, the driver, a grizzled graduate from a haywagon, and a born grump, as promptly and as silently started hismachine. The crisp and perfect start, however, was given check by aperemptory voice from the platform. 

"Hey, you!" rasped the voice. "Come back here!"

As there were positively no other "Hey yous" in the landscape, thedriver and the alert young man each acknowledged to the name, andturned to see an elderly gentleman, with a most aggressive beard andsolid corpulency, gesticulating at them with much vigor andearnestness. Standing beside him was a slender sort of girl in a greenoutfit, with very large brown eyes and a smile of amusement which wasjust a shade mischievous. The driver turned upon his passenger a longand solemn accusation. 

"Hollis Creek Inn?" he asked sternly. 

"Meadow Brook, " returned the passenger, not at all abashed, and hesmiled with all the cheeriness imaginable. 

"Oh, " said the driver, and there was a world of disapprobation in histone, as well as a subtle intonation of contempt. "You are not Mr. Stevens of Boston. "

"No, " confessed the passenger; "Mr. Turner of New York. I judge thatto be Mr. Stevens on the platform, " and he grinned. 

The driver, still declining to see any humor whatsoever in thesituation, sourly ran back to the platform. Jumping from his seat heopened the door of the tonneau, and waited with entirely artificialdeference for Mr. Turner of New York to alight. Mr. Turner, however, did nothing of the sort. He merely stood up in the tonneau and bowedgravely. 

"I seem to be a usurper, " he said pleasantly to Mr. Stevens of Boston. "I was expected at Meadow Brook, and they were to send a conveyance forme. As this was the only conveyance in sight I naturally supposed itto be mine. I very much regret having discommoded you. "

He was looking straight at Mr. Stevens of Boston as he spoke, but, nevertheless, he was perfectly aware of the presence of the girl; alsoof her eyes and of her smile of amusement with its trace ofmischievousness. Becoming conscious of his consciousness of her, hecast her deliberately out of his mind and concentrated upon Mr. Stevens. The two men gazed quite steadily at each other, not to thepoint of impertinence at all, but nevertheless rather absorbedly. Really it was only for a fleeting moment, but in that moment they hadeach penetrated the husk of the other, had cleaved straight down to thesoul, had estimated and judged for ever and ever, after the ways of men. 

"I passed your carryall on the road. It was broke down. It'll be herein about a half hour, I suppose, " insisted the driver, opening the doorof the tonneau still wider, and waving the descending pathway with hisright hand. 

Both Mr. Stevens of Boston and Mr. Turner of New York were very glad ofthis interruption, for it gave the older gentleman an object upon whichto vent his annoyance. 

"Is Meadow Brook on the way to Hollis Creek?" he demanded in a tonefull of reproof for the driver's presumption. 

The driver reluctantly admitted that it was. 

"I couldn't think of leaving you in this dismal spot to wait for adubious carryall, " offered Mr. Stevens, but with frigid politeness. "You are quite welcome to ride with us, if you will. "

"Thank you, " said Mr. Turner, now climbing out of the machine withalacrity and making way for the others. "I had intended, " he laughed, as he took his place beside the driver, "to secure just such aninvitation, by hook or by crook. "

For this assurance he received a glance from the big eyes; not at all aflirtatious glance, but one of amusement, with a trace of mischief. The remark, however, had well-nigh stopped all conversation on the partof Mr. Stevens, who suddenly remembered that he had a daughter toprotect, and must discourage forwardness. His musings along theselines were interrupted by an enthusiastic outburst from Mr. Turner. 

"By George!" exclaimed the latter gentleman, "what a fine clump ofwalnut trees; an even half-dozen, and every solitary one of them wouldtrim sixteen inches. "

"Yes, " agreed the older man with keenly awakened interest, "they arefine specimens. They would scale six hundred feet apiece, if they'dscale an inch. "

"You're in the lumber business, I take it, " guessed the young manimmediately, already reaching for his card-case. "My name is Turner, known a little better as Sam Turner, of Turner and Turner. "

"Sam Turner, " repeated the older man thoughtfully. "The name seemsdistinctly familiar to me, but I do not seem, either, to remember ofany such firm in the trade. "

"Oh, we're not in the lumber line, " replied Mr. Turner. "Not at all. We're in most anything that offers a profit. We--that is my kidbrother and myself--have engineered a deal or two in lumber lands, however. It was only last month that I turned a good trade--a verygood trade--on a tract of the finest trees in Wisconsin. "

"The dickens!" exclaimed the older gentleman explosively. "So you'rethe Turner who sold us our own lumber! Now I know you. I'm Stevens, of the Maine and Wisconsin Lumber Company. "

Sam Turner laughed aloud, in both surprise and glee. Mr. Stevens hadnow reached for his own card-case. The two gentlemen exchanged cards, which, with barely more than a glance, they poked in the other flaps oftheir cases; then they took a new and more interested inspection ofeach other. Both were now entirely oblivious to the girl, who, however, was by no means oblivious to them. She found them, in thisnew meeting, a most interesting study. 

"You gouged us on that land, young man, " resumed Mr. Stevens with a wrylittle smile. 

"Worth every cent you paid us for it, wasn't it?" demanded the other. 

"Y-e-s; but if you hadn't stepped into the deal at the last minute, wecould have secured it for five or six thousand dollars less money. "

"You used to go after these things yourself, " explained Mr. Turner withan easy laugh. "Now you send out people empowered only to look and notto purchase. "

"But what I don't yet understand, " protested Mr. Stevens, "is how youcame to be in the deal at all. When we sent out our men to inspect thetrees they belonged to a chap in Detroit. When we came to buy themthey belonged to you. "

"Certainly, " agreed the younger man. "I was up that way on otherbusiness, when I heard about your man looking over this valuableacreage; so I just slipped down to Detroit and hunted up the owner andbought it. Then I sold it to you. That's all. "

He smiled frankly and cheerfully upon Mr. Stevens, and the frown ofdiscomfiture which had slightly clouded the latter gentleman's brow, faded away under the guilelessness of it all; so much so that hethought to introduce his daughter. 

Miss Josephine having been brought into the conversation, Mr. Turner, for the first time, bent his gaze fully upon her, giving her the sameswift scrutiny and appraisement that he had the father. He wasevidently highly satisfied with what he saw, for he kept looking at itas much as he dared. He became aware after a moment or so that Mr. Stevens was saying something to him. He never did get all of it, buthe got this much:

"--so you'd be rather a good man to watch, wherever you go. "

"I hope so, " agreed the other briskly. "If I want anything, I goprepared to grab it the minute I find that it suits me. "

"Do you always get everything you want?" asked the young lady. 

"Always, " he answered her very earnestly, and looked her in the eyes sospeculatively, albeit unconsciously so, that she found herself battlingwith a tendency to grow pink. 

Her father nodded in approval. 

"That's the way to get things, " he said. "What are you after now?More lumber?"

"Rest, " declared Mr. Turner with vigorous emphasis. "I've worked likea nailer ever since I turned out of high school. I had to make theliving for the family, and I sent my kid brother through college. He'sjust been out a year and it's a wonder the way he takes hold. But doyou know that in all those times since I left school I never took alay-off until just this minute? It feels glorious already. It's fineto look around this good stretch of green country and breathe thisfresh air and look at those hills over yonder, and to realize that Idon't have to think of business for two solid weeks. Just absoluterest, for me! I don't intend to talk one syllable of shop while I'mhere. Hello! there's another clump of walnut trees. It's a pitythey're scattered so that it isn't worth while to buy them up. "

The girl laughed, a little silvery laugh which made any memory of grandopera seem harsh and jangling. Both men turned to her in surprise. Neither of them could see any cause for mirth in all the fields or sky. 

"I beg your pardon for being so silly, " she said; "but I just thoughtof something funny. "

"Tell it to us, " urged Mr. Turner. "I've never taken the time I oughtto enjoy funny things, and I might as well begin right now. "

But she shook her head, and in some way he acquired an impression thatshe was amused at him. His brows gathered a trifle. If the young ladyintended to make sport of him he would take her down a peg or two. Hewould find her point of susceptibility to ridicule, and hammer upon ituntil she cried enough. That was his way to make men respectful, andit ought to work with women. 

When they let him out at Meadow Brook, Mr. Stevens was kind enough toask him to drop over to Hollis Creek. Mr. Turner, with impulsivealacrity, promised that he would. 

CHAPTER II

WHEREIN MR. TURNER PLUNGES INTO THE BUSINESS OF RESTING

At Meadow Brook Sam Turner found W. W. Westlake, of the WestlakeElectric Company, a big, placid man with a mild gray eye and anappearance of well-fed and kindly laziness; a man also who had therecord of having ruthlessly smashed more business competitors than anytwo other pirates in his line. Westlake, unclasping his fat hands fromhis comfortable rotundity, was glad to see young Turner, also glad tointroduce the new eligible to his daughter, a girl of twenty-two, working might and main to reduce a threatened inheritance ofembonpoint. Mr. Turner was charmed to meet Miss Westlake, and evenmore pleased to meet the gentleman who was with her, young Princeman, abrisk paper manufacturer variously quoted at from one to two million. He knew all about young Princeman; in fact, had him upon his mentallist as a man presently to meet and cultivate for a specific purpose, and already Mr. Turner's busy mind offset the expenses of this tripwith an equal credit, much in the form of "By introduction to H. L. Princeman, Jr. (Princeman and Son Paper Mills, AA 1), whatever itcosts. " He liked young Princeman at sight, too, and, proceedingdirectly to the matter uppermost in his thoughts, immediately asked himhow the new tariff had affected his business. 

"It's inconvenient, " said Princeman with a shake of his head. "Ofcourse, in the end the consumers must pay, but they protest so muchabout it that they disarrange the steady course of our operations. "

"It's queer that the ultimate consumer never will be quite reconciledto his fate, " laughed Mr. Turner; "but in this particular case, I thinkI hold the solution. You'll be interested, I know. You see--"

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Turner, " interrupted Miss Westlake gaily; "Iknow you'll want to meet all the young folks, and you'll particularlywant to meet my very dearest friend. Miss Hastings, Mr. Turner. "

Mr. Turner had turned to find an extraordinarily thin young woman, withextraordinarily piercing black eyes, at Miss Westlake's side. 

"Indeed, I do want to meet all the young people, " he cordiallyasserted, taking Miss Hastings' claw-like hand in his own and wonderingwhat to do with it. He could not clasp it and he could not shake it. She relieved him of his dilemma, after a moment, by twining that armabout the plump waist of her dearest friend. 

"Is this your first stay at Meadow Brook?" she asked by way of startingconversation. She was very carefully vivacious, was Miss Hastings, andhad a bird-like habit, meant to be very fetching, of cocking her headto one side as she spoke, and peering up to men--oh, away up--with thebeady expression of a pet canary. 

"My very first visit, " confessed Mr. Turner, not yet realizing thedisgrace it was to be "new people" at Meadow Brook, where there wasalways an aristocracy of the grandchildren of original Meadow Brookers. "However, I hope it won't be the last time, " he continued. 

"We shall all hope that, I am certain, " Miss Westlake assured him, smiling engagingly into the depths of his eyes. "It will be our faultif you don't like it here;" and he might take such tentative promise ashe would from that and her smile. 

"Thank you, " he said promptly enough. "I can see right now that I'mgoing to make Meadow Brook my future summer home. It's such a restfulplace, for one thing. I'm beginning to rest right now, and to putbusiness so far into the background that--" he suddenly stopped andlistened to a phrase which his trained ear had caught. 

"And that is the trouble with the whole paper business, " Mr. Princemanwas saying to Mr. Westlake. "It is not the tariff, but the futurescarcity of wood-pulp material. "

"That's just what I was starting to explain to you, " said Mr. Turner, wheeling eagerly to Mr. Princeman, entirely unaware, in his intensityof interest, of his utter rudeness to both groups. "My kid brother andmyself are working on a scheme which, if we are on the right track, ought to bring about a revolution in the paper business. I can notgive you the exact details of it now, because we're waiting for letterspatent on it, but the fundamental point is this: that the wood-pulpmanufacturers within a few years will have to grow their raw material, since wood is becoming so scarce and so high priced. Well, there isany quantity of swamp land available, and we have experimented like madwith reeds and rushes. We've found one particular variety which growsvery rapidly, has a strong, woody fiber, and makes the finest pulp inthe world. I turned the kid loose with the company's bank roll thisspring, and he secured options on two thousand acres of swamp land, near to transportation and particularly adapted to this culture, anddirt cheap because it is useless for any other purpose. As soon as thepatents are granted on our process we're going to organize a milliondollar stock company to take up more land and handle the business. "

"Come over here and sit down, " invited Princeman, somewhat more thancourteously. 

"Wait a minute until I send for McComas. Here, boy, hunt Mr. McComasand ask him to come out on the porch. "

The new guest was reaching for pencil and paper as they gathered theirchairs together. The two girls had already started hesitantly toefface themselves. Half-way across the lawn they looked sadly towardthe porch again. That handsome young Mr. Turner, his back toward them, was deep in formulated but thrilling facts, while three other heads, one gray and one black and one auburn, were bent interestedly over theenvelope upon which he was figuring. 

Later on, as he was dressing for dinner, Mr. Turner decided that heliked Meadow Brook very much. It was set upon the edge of a pleasant, rolling valley, faced and backed by some rather high hills, upon thesloping side of one of which the hotel was built, with broad verandaslooking out upon exquisitely kept flowers and shrubbery and upon theshallow little brook which gave the place its name. A little morewater would have suited Sam better, but the management had made themost of its opportunities, especially in the matter of arranging dozensof pretty little lovers' lanes leading in all directions among thetrees and along the sides of the shimmering stream, and the wholeprospect was very good to look at, indeed. Taken in conjunction withthe fact that one had no business whatever on hand, it gave one a senseof delightful freedom to look out on the green lawn and the gaygardens, on the brook and the tennis and croquet courts, and on thepurple-hazed, wooded hills beyond; it was good to fill one's lungs withcountry air and to realize for a little while what a delightful worldthis is; to see young people wandering about out there by twos and bythrees, and to meet with so many other people of affairs enjoyingleisure similar to one's own. 

Of course, this wasn't a really fashionable place, being supportedentirely by men who had made their own money; but there was Princeman, for instance, a fine chap and very keen; a well-set-up fellow, black-haired and black-eyed, and of a quick, nervous disposition; oneof precisely the kind of energy which Turner liked to see. McComas, too, with his deep red hair and his tendency to freckles, and his franksmile with all the white teeth behind it, was a corking good fellow;and alive. McComas was in the furniture line, a maker of cheap stuffwhich was shipped in solid trains of carload lots from a factory thatcovered several acres. The other men he noticed around the placeseemed to be of about the same stamp. He had never been anywhere thatthe men averaged so well. 

As he went down-stairs, McComas introduced his wife, already gowned forthe evening. She was a handsome woman, of the sort who would wear adifferent stunning gown every night for two weeks and then go on to thenext place. Well, she had a right to this extravagance. Besides it isgood for a man's business to have his wife dressed prosperously. A manwho is getting on in the world ought to have a handsome wife. If sheis the right kind, of Miss Stevens' type, say, she is a distinct asset. 

After dinner, Miss Westlake and Miss Hastings waylaid him on the porch. 

[Illustration: They waylaid him on the porch]

"I suppose, of course, you are going to take part in the bowlingtournament to-night, " suggested Miss Westlake with the engagingdirectness allowable to family friendship. 

"I suppose so, although I didn't know there was one. Where is it to beheld?"

"Oh, just down the other side of the brook, beyond the croquet grounds. We have a tournament every week, and a prize cup for the best score inthe season. It's lots of fun. Do you bowl?"

"Not very much, " Mr. Turner confessed; "but if you'll just keep meposted on all these various forms of recreation, you may count on mytaking a prominent share in them. "

"All right, " agreed Miss Hastings, very vivaciously taking theconversation away from Miss Westlake. "We'll constitute ourselves acommittee of two to lay out a program for you. "

"Fine, " he responded, bending on the fragile Miss Hastings a smile sopleasant that it made her instantly determine to find out somethingabout his family and commercial standing. "What time do we start onour mad bowling career?"

"They'll be drifting over in about a half-hour, " Miss Westlake toldhim, with a speculative sidelong glance at her dearest girl friend. "Everybody starts out for a stroll in some other direction, as ifbowling was the least of their thoughts, but they all wind up at thealleys. I'll show you. " A slight young man of the white-trouseredfaction, as distinguished from the dinner-coat crowd, passed them justthen. "Oh, Billy, " called Miss Westlake, and introduced the slightyoung man, who proved to be her brother, to Mr. Turner, at the sametime wreathing her arm about the waist of her dear companion. "Comeon, Vivian; let's go get our wraps, " and the girls, leaving "Billy" andMr. Turner together, scurried away. 

The two young men looked at each other dubiously, though each had anearnest desire to please. They groped for human understanding, andsuddenly that clammy, discouraged feeling spread its muffling wallbetween them. Billy was the first to recover in part. 

"Charming weather, isn't it?" he observed with a polite smile. 

Mr. Turner opined that it was, the while delving into Mr. Westlake'smental workshop and finding it completely devoid of tools, patterns orlumber. 

"The girls are just going to take me over to bowl, " Mr. Turner ventureddesperately after a while. "Do you bowl very much?"

"Oh, I usually fill in, " stated Mr. Westlake; "but really, I'm a verypoor hand at it. I seem to be a poor hand at most everything, " and helaughed with engaging candor, as if somehow this were creditable. 

The conversation thereupon lagged for a moment or two, while Mr. Turnerblankly asked himself: "What in thunder _does_ a man talk about when hehas nothing to say and nobody to say it to?" Presently he solved theproblem. 

"It must be beautiful out here in the autumn, " he observed. 

"Yes, it is indeed, " returned Mr. Westlake with alacrity. "The leavesturn all sorts of colors. "

Once more conversation lagged, while Billy feebly wondered how anyperson could possibly be so dull as this chap. He made another attempt. 

"Beastly place, though, when it rains, " he observed. 

"Yes, I should imagine so, " agreed Mr. Turner. Great Scott! The voiceof McComas saved him from utter imbecility. 

"You'll excuse Mr. Turner a moment, won't you, Billy?" begged McComaspleasantly. "I want to introduce him to a couple of friends of mine. "

Billy Westlake bowed his forgiveness of Mr. McComas with fully as muchrelief as Sam Turner had felt. Over in the same corner of the porchwhere he had sat in the afternoon with McComas and Princeman and theelder Westlake, Sam found awaiting them Mr. Cuthbert, of the AmericanPapier-Mâché Company, an almost viciously ugly man with a twisted noseand a crooked mouth, who controlled practically all the worth-whilepapier-mâché business of the United States, and Mr. Blackrock, anelderly man with a young toupee and particularly gaunt cheek-bones, whowas a corporation lawyer of considerable note. Both gentlemen greetedMr. Turner as one toward whom they were already highly predisposed, andMr. Princeman and Mr. Westlake also shook hands most cordially, as ifSam had been gone for a day or two. Mr. McComas placed a chair for him. 

"We just happened to mention your marsh pulp idea, and Mr. Cuthbert andMr. Blackrock were at once very highly interested, " observed McComas asthey sat dawn. "Mr. Blackrock suggests that he don't see why you needwait for the issuance of the letters patent, at least to discuss thepreliminary steps in the forming of your company. "

"Why, no, Mr. Turner, " said Mr. Blackrock, suavely and smoothly; "it isnot a company anyhow, as I take it, which will depend so much uponletters patent as upon extensive exploitation. "

"Yes, that's true enough, " agreed Sam with a smile. "The letterspatent, however, should give my kid brother and myself, without muchcapital, controlling interest in the stock. "

Upon this frank but natural statement the others laughed quitepleasantly. 

"That seems a plausible enough reason, " admitted Mr. Westlake, foldinghis fat hands across his equator and leaning back in his chair with aplacidity which seemed far removed from any thought of gain. "How didyou propose to organize your company?"

"Well, " said Sam, crossing one leg comfortably over the other, "Iexpect to issue a half million participating preferred stock, at fiveper cent. , and a half-million common, one share of common as bonus witheach two shares of preferred; the voting power, of course, vested inthe common. "

A silence followed that, and then Mr. Cuthbert, with a diagonal yawingof his mouth which seemed to give his words a special dryness, observed:

"And I presume you intend to take up the balance of the common stock?"

"Just about, " returned Mr. Turner cheerfully, addressing Cuthbertdirectly. The papier-mâché king was another man whom he had inscribed, some time since, upon his mental list. "My kid brother and myself willtake two hundred and fifty thousand of the common stock for our patentsand processes, and for our services as promoters and organizers, andwill purchase enough of the preferred to give us voting power; say fivethousand dollars worth. "

Mr. Cuthbert shook his head. 

"Very stringent terms, " he observed. "I doubt if you will interestyour capital on that basis. "

"All right, " said Sam, clasping his knee in his hands and rockinggently. "If we can't organize on that basis we won't organize at all. We're in no hurry. My kid brother's handling it just now, anyhow. I'mon a vacation, the first I ever had, and not keen upon business, by anymeans. In the meantime, let me show you some figures. "

Five minutes later, Billy Westlake and his sister and Miss Hastingsdrew up to the edge of the group. Young Westlake stood diffidently fortwo or three minutes beside Mr. Turner's chair, and then he put hishand on that summer idler's shoulder. 

"Oh, good evening, Mr. --Mr. --Mr. --" Sam stammered while he tried tofind the name. 

"Westlake, " interposed Billy's father; and then, a trifle impatiently, "What do you want, Billy?"

"Mr. Turner was to go over with us to the bowling shed, dad. "

"That's so, " admitted Mr. Turner, glancing over to the porch rail wherethe girls stood expectantly in their fluffy white dresses, and noddingpleasantly at them, but not yet rising. He was in the midst of animportant statement. 

"Just you run on with the girls, Billy, " ordered Mr. Westlake. "Mr. Turner will be over in a few minutes. "

The others of the circle bent their eyes gravely upon Billy and thegirls as they turned away, and waited for Mr. Turner to resume. 

At a quarter past ten, as Mr. Turner and Mr. Princeman walked slowlyalong the porch to turn into the parlors for a few minutes of music, ofwhich Sam was very fond, a crowd of young people came trooping up thesteps. Among them were Billy Westlake and his sister, another younggentleman and Miss Hastings. 

"By George, that bowling tournament!" exclaimed Mr. Turner. "I forgotall about it. "

He was about to make his apologies, but Miss Westlake and Miss Hastingspassed right on, with stern, set countenances and their heads in air. Apparently they did not see Mr. Turner at all. He gazed after them inconsternation; suddenly there popped into his mind the vision of aslender girl in green, with mischievous brown eyes--and he feltstrangely comforted. Before retiring he wired his brother to send somesamples of the marsh pulp, and the paper made from it. 

CHAPTER III

MR. TURNER APPLIES BUSINESS PROMPTNESS TO A MATTER OF DELICACY

Morning at Meadow Brook was even more delightful than evening. Thetime Mr. Turner had chosen for his outing was early September, andalready there was a crispness in the air which was quite invigorating. Clad in flannels and with a brand new tennis racket under his arm, hewent into the reading-room immediately after breakfast, bought a paperof the night before and glanced hastily over the news of the day, paying more particular attention to the market page. Prices of thingshad a peculiar fascination for him. He noticed that cereals had gonedown, that there was another flurry in copper stock, and that hardwoodhad gone up, and ranging down the list his eye caught a quotation forwalnut. It had made a sharp advance of ten dollars a thousand feet. 

Out of the window, as he looked up, he saw Miss Westlake and MissHastings crossing the lawn, and he suddenly realized that he was hereto wear himself out with rest, so he hurried in the direction the girlshad taken; but when he arrived at the tennis court he found a setalready in progress. Both Miss Westlake and Miss Hastings barelynodded at Mr. Turner, and went right on displaying grace and dexterityto a quite unusual degree. Decidedly Mr. Turner was being "cut, " andhe wondered why. Presently he strode down to the road and looked upover the hill in the direction he knew Hollis Creek Inn to be. He wasstill pondering the probable distance when Mr. Westlake and Billy andyoung Princeman came up the brook path. 

"Just the chap I wanted to see, Sam, " said Mr. Westlake heartily. "I'mtrying to get up a pin-hook fishing contest, for three-inch sunfish. "

"Happy thought, " returned Sam, laughing. "Count me in. "

"It's the governor's own idea, too, " said Billy with vast enthusiasm. "Bully sport, it ought to be. Only trouble is, Princeman has somemysterious errand or other, and can't join us. "

"No; the fact is, the Stevenses were due at Hollis Creek yesterday, "confessed Mr. Princeman in cold return to the prying Billy, "and Ithink I'll stroll over and see if they've arrived. "

Sam Turner surveyed Princeman with a new interest. Danger lurked inPrinceman's black eyes, fascination dwelt in his black hair, attractiveness was in every line of his athletic figure. It was uponthe tip of Sam's tongue to say that he would join Princeman in hiswalk, but he repressed that instinct immediately. 

"Quite a long ways over there by the road, isn't it?" he questioned. 

"Yes, " admitted Princeman unsuspectingly, "it winds a good bit; butthere is a path across the hills which is not only shorter but far morepleasant. "

Sam turned to Mr. Westlake. 

"It would be a shame not to let Princeman in on that pin-hook match, "he suggested. "Why not put it off until to-morrow morning. I have anidea that I can beat Princeman at the game. "

There was more or less of sudden challenge in his tone, and Princeman, keen as Sam himself, took it in that way. 

"Fine!" he invited. "Any time you want to enter into a contest with meyou just mention it. "

"I'll let you know in some way or other, even if I don't make anydirect announcement, " laughed Sam, and Princeman walked away with Mr. Westlake, very much to Billy's consternation. He was alone with thisdull Turner person once more. What should they talk about? Sam solvedthat problem for him at once. "What's the swiftest conveyance thesepeople keep?" he asked briskly. 

"Oh, you can get most anything you like, " said Billy. "Saddle-horsesand carriages of all sorts; and last year they put in a couple ofautomobiles, though scarcely any one uses them. " There was a certainamount of careless contempt in Billy's tone as he mentioned the hiredautos. Evidently they were not considered to be as good form as othermodes of conveyance. 

"Where's the garage?" asked Sam. 

"Right around back of the hotel. Just follow that drive. "

"Thanks, " said the other crisply. "I'll see you this evening, " and hestalked away leaving Billy gasping for breath at the suddenness of Sam. After all, though, he was glad to be rid of Mr. Turner. He knew theStevenses himself, and it had slowly dawned on him that by having hisown horse saddled he could beat Princeman over there. 

It took Sam just about one minute to negotiate for an automobile, aneat little affair, shiny and new, and before they were half-way toHollis Creek, his innate democracy led him into conversation with thedriver, an alert young man of the near-by clay. 

"Not very good soil in this neighborhood, " Sam observed. "I noticethere is a heavy outcropping of stone. What are the principal crops?"

"Summer resorters, " replied the driver briefly. 

"And do you mean to tell me that all these farm-houses call themselvessummer resorts?" inquired Sam. 

"No, only those that have running water. The others just keepboarders. "

"I see, " said Sam, laughing. 

A moment later they passed over a beautifully clear stream which randown a narrow pocket valley between two high hills, swept under arickety wooden culvert, and raced on across a marshy meadow, sparklinginvitingly here and there in the sunlight. 

"Here's running water without a summer resort, " observed the passenger, still smiling. 

"It's too much shut in, " replied the chauffeur as one who had voiced afinal and insurmountable objection. All the "summer resorts" in thisneighborhood were of one pattern, and no one would so much as dream ofvarying from the first successful model. 

Sam scarcely heard. He was looking back toward the trough of those twopicturesquely wooded hills, and for the rest of the drive he asked butfew questions. 

At Hollis Creek, where he found a much more imposing hotel than the oneat Meadow Brook, he discovered Miss Stevens, clad in simple white fromcanvas shoes to knotted cravat, in a summer-house on the lawn, chattinggaily with a young man who was almost fat. Sam had seen other girlssince he had entered the grounds, but he could not make out theirfeatures; this one he had recognized from afar, and as they approachedthe summer-house he opened the door of the machine and jumped outbefore it had come properly to a stop. 

"Good morning, Miss Stevens, " he said with a cheerful self-confidencewhich was beautiful to behold. "I have come over to take you a littlespin, if you'll go. "

Miss Stevens gazed at the caller quizzically, and laughed outright. 

"This is so sudden, " she murmured. 

The caller himself grinned. 

"Does seem so, if you stop to think of it, " he admitted. "Rather likedropping out of the clouds. But the auto is here, and I can testifythat it's a smooth-running machine. Will you go?"

She turned that same quizzical smile upon the young man who was almostfat, and introduced him, curly hair and all, to Mr. Turner as Mr. Hollis, who, it afterward transpired, was the heir to Hollis Creek Inn. 

"I had just promised to play tennis with Mr. Hollis, " Miss Stevensstated after the introduction had been properly acknowledged, "but Iknow he won't mind putting it off this time, " and she handed him hertennis bat. 

"Certainly not, " said young Hollis with forcedly smiling politeness. 

"Thank you, Mr. Hollis, " said Sam promptly. "Just jump right in, MissStevens. "

"How long shall we be gone?" she asked as she settled herself in thetonneau. 

"Oh, whatever you say. A couple of hours, I presume. "

"All right, then, " she said to young Hollis; "we'll have our game inthe afternoon. "

"With pleasure, " replied the other graciously, but he did not look it. 

"Where shall we go?" asked Sam as the driver looked back inquiringly. "You know the country about here, I suppose. "

"I ought to, " she laughed. "Father's been ending the summer here eversince I was a little girl. You might take us around Bald Hill, " shesuggested to the chauffeur. "It is a very pretty drive, " sheexplained, turning to Sam as the machine wheeled, and at the same timewaving her hand gaily to the disconsolate Hollis, who was "hard hit"with a different girl every season. "It's just about a two-hour trip. What a fine morning to be out!" and she settled back comfortably as themachine gathered speed. "I do love a machine, but father is ratherbackward about them. He will consent to ride in them under necessity, but he won't buy one. Every time he sees a handsome pair of horses, however, he has to have them. "

"I admire a good horse myself, " returned Sam. 

"Do you ride?" she asked him. 

"Oh, I have suffered a few times on horseback, " he confessed; "but youought to see my kid brother ride. He looks as if he were part of thehorse. He's a handsome brat. "

"Except for calling him names, which is a purely masculine way ofshowing affection, you speak of him almost as if you were his mother, "she observed. 

"Well, I am, almost, " replied Sam, studying the matter gravely. "Ihave been his mother, and his father, and his brother, too, for a greatmany years; and I will say that he's a credit to his family. "

"Meaning just you?" she ventured. 

"Yes, we're all we have; just yet, at least. " This quite soberly. 

"He must talk of getting married, " she guessed, with a quick intuitionthat when this happened it would be a blow to Sam. 

"Oh, no, " he immediately corrected her. "He isn't quite old enough tothink of it seriously as yet. I expect to be married long before heis. "

Miss Stevens felt a rigid aloofness creeping over her, and, having avery wholesome sense of humor, smiled as she recognized the feeling inherself. 

"I should think you'd spend your vacation where the girl is, " sheobserved. "Men usually do, don't they?"

He laughed gaily. 

"I surely would if I knew the girl, " he asserted. 

"That's a refreshing suggestion, " she said, echoing his laugh, thoughfrom a different impulse. "I presume, then, that you entertainthoughts of matrimony merely because you think you are quite oldenough. "

"No, it isn't just that, " he returned, still thoughtfully. "Somehow orother I feel that way about it; that's all. I have never had time tothink of it before, but this past year I have had a sort of sense oflonesomeness; and I guess that must be it. "

In spite of herself Miss Josephine giggled and repressed it, andgiggled again and repressed it, and giggled again, and then she letherself go and laughed as heartily as she pleased. She had heard mensay before, but always with more or less of a languishing air, inevitably ridiculous in a man, that they thought it about time theywere getting married; but she could not remember anything to comparewith Sam Turner's naïveté in the statement. 

He paid no attention to the laughter, for he had suddenly leanedforward to the chauffeur. 

"There is another clump of walnut trees, " he said, eagerly pointingthem out. "Are there many of them in this locality?"

"A good many scattered here and there, " replied the boy; "but old manGifford has a twenty-acre grove down in the bottoms that's mostly allwalnut trees, and I heard him say just the other day that walnutlumber's got so high he had a notion to clear his land. "

"Where do you suppose we could find old man Gifford?" inquired Mr. Turner. 

"Oh, about six miles off to the right, at the next turning. "

"Suppose we whizz right down there, " said Sam promptly, and he turnedto Miss Stevens with enthusiasm shining in his eyes. "It does seem asif everything happens lucky for me, " he observed. "I haven't anyparticular liking for the lumber business, but fate keeps handinglumber to me all the time; just fairly forcing it on me. "

"Do you think fate is as much responsible for that as yourself?" shequestioned, smiling as they passed at a good clip the turn which was tohave taken them over the pretty Bald Hill drive. Sam had not eventhought to apologize for the abrupt change in their program, becauseshe could certainly see the opportunity which had offered itself, andhow imperative it was to embrace it. The thing needed no explanation. 

"I don't know, " he replied to her query, after pausing to consider it amoment. "I certainly don't go out of my road to hunt up these things. "

"No-o-o-o, " she admitted. "But fate hasn't thrust this particularopportunity upon me, although I'm right with you at the time. It neverwould have occurred to me to ask about those walnut trees. "

"It would have occurred to your father, " he retorted quickly. 

"Yes, it might have occurred to father, but I think that under thecircumstances he would have waited until to-morrow to see about it. "

"I suppose I might be that way when I arrive at his age, " Sam commentedphilosophically, "but just now I can't afford it. His 'seeing about itto-morrow' cost him between five and six thousand dollars the last timeI had anything to do with him. "

She laughed. She was enjoying Sam's company very much. Even if a bitstartling, he was at least refreshing after the type of young men shewas in the habit of meeting. 

"He was talking about that last night, " she said. "I think fatherrather stands in both admiration and awe of you. "

"I'm glad to hear that, " he returned quite seriously. "It's a goodattitude in which to have the man with whom you expect to do business. "

"I think I shall have to tell him that, " she observed, highly amused. "He will enjoy it, and it may put him on his guard. "

"I don't mind, " he concluded after due reflection. "It won't hurt aparticle. If anything, if he likes me so far, that will only increaseit. I like your father. In fact I like his whole family. "

"Thank you, " she said demurely, wondering if there was no end to hisbluntness, and wondering, too, whether it were not about time that sheshould find it wearisome. On closer analysis, however, she decidedthat the time was not yet come. "But you have not met all of them, "she reminded him. "There are mother and a younger sister and an olderbrother. "

"Don't matter if there were six more, I like all of them, " Sam promptlyinformed her. Then, "Stop a minute, " he suddenly directed thechauffeur. 

That functionary abruptly brought his machine to a halt just a littleway past a tree glowing with bright green leaves and red berries. 

"I don't know what sort of a tree that is, " said Sam with boyishenthusiasm; "but see how pretty it is. Except for the shape of theleaves the effect is as beautiful as holly. Wouldn't you like a branchor two, Miss Stevens?"

"I certainly should, " she heartily agreed. "I don't know how youdiscovered that I have a mad passion for decorative weeds and things. "

"Have you?" he inquired eagerly. "So have I. If I had time I'd berather ashamed of it. "

He had scrambled out of the car and now ran back to the tree, where, perching himself upon the second top rail of the fence he drew down alimb, and with his knife began to snip off branches here and there. The girl noticed that he selected the branches with discrimination, turning each one over so that he could look at the broad side of itbefore clipping, rejecting many and studying each one after he hadtaken it in his hand. He was some time in finding the last one, a longstraggling branch which had most of its leaves and berries at the tip, and she noticed that as he came back to the auto he was arranging themdeftly and with a critical eye. When he handed them in to her theyformed a carefully arranged and graceful composition. It was a new andan unexpected side of him, and it softened considerably the amusedregard in which she had been holding him. 

"They are beautifully arranged, " she commented, as he stopped for amoment to brush the dust from his shoes in the tall grass by theroadside. 

"Do you think so?" he delightedly inquired. "You ought to see my kidbrother make up bouquets of goldenrod and such things. He seems tohave a natural artistic gift. "

She bent on his averted head a wondering glance, and she reflected thatoften this "hustler" must be misunderstood. 

"You have aroused in me quite a curiosity to meet this paragon of abrother, " she remarked. "He must be well-nigh perfection. "

"He is, " replied Sam instantly, turning to her very earnest eyes. "Hehasn't a flaw in him any place. "

She smiled musingly as she surveyed the group of branches she held inher hand. 

"It is a pity these leaves will wither in so short a time, " she said. 

"Yes, " he admitted; "but even if we have to throw them away before weget back to the hotel, their beauty will give us pleasure for an hour;and the tree won't miss them. See, it seems as perfect as ever. "

"It wouldn't if everybody took the same liberties with it that youdid, " she remarked, glancing back at the tree. 

Sam had climbed in the car and had slammed the door shut, but any replyhe might have made was prevented by a hail from the woods above them atthe other side of the road, and a man came scrambling down from thehillside path. 

"Why, it's Mr. Princeman!" exclaimed the girl in pleased surprise. "Think of finding you wandering about, all alone in the woods here. "

"I wasn't wandering about, " he protested as he came up to the machineand shook hands with Miss Josephine. "I was headed directly for HollisCreek Inn. Your brother wrote me that you were expected to arrivethere yesterday evening, and I was dropping over to call on you rightaway this morning. I see, however, that I was not quite prompt enough. You're selfish, Mr. Turner. You knew I was going over to Hollis Creek, and you might have invited me to ride in your machine. "

"You might have invited me to walk with you, " retorted Sam. 

"But you knew that I was coming and I didn't know that you even knew--"he paused abruptly and fixed a contemplative eye upon young Mr. Turner, who was now surveying the scenery and Mr. Princeman in calm enjoyment. 

The arrival at this moment of a cloud of dust out of which evolved alone horseman, and that horseman Billy Westlake, added a new angle tothe situation, and for one fleeting moment the three men eyed oneanother in mutual sheepish guilt. 

"Rather good sport, I call it, Miss Stevens, " declared Billy, aware ofa sudden increase in his estimation of Mr. Turner, and letting the catcompletely out of the bag. "Each of us was trying to steal a march onthe rest, but Mr. Turner used the most businesslike method, and ofcourse he won the race. "

"I'm flattered, I'm sure, " said Miss Josephine demurely. "I reallyfeel that I ought to go right back to the house and be the belle of theball; but it's impossible for an hour or so in this case, " and sheturned to her escort with the smile of mischief which she had worn thefirst time he saw her. "You see, we are out on a little business trip, Mr. Turner and myself. We're going to buy a walnut grove. "

Mr. Turner turned upon her a glance which was half a frown. 

"I promised to get you back in two hours, and I'll do it, " he stated, "but we mustn't linger much by the wayside. "

"With which hint we shall wend our Hollis Creek-ward way, " laughedPrinceman, exchanging a glance of amusement with Miss Stevens. "Ithink we shall visit with your father until you come back. "

"Please do, " she urged. "He will be as glad to see you both as I am, "with which information she settled herself back in her seat with alittle air of the interview being over, and the chauffeur, with properintuition, started the machine, while Mr. Princeman and Billy lookedafter them glumly. 

"Queer chap, isn't he?" commented Billy. 

"Queer? Well, hardly that, " returned Princeman thoughtfully. "There'sone thing certain; he's enterprising and vigorous enough to commandrespect, in business or--anything else. "

At about that very moment Mr. Turner was impressing upon his companiona very important bit of ethics. 

"You shouldn't have violated my confidence, " he told her severely. 

"How was that?" she asked in surprise, and with a trifle of indignationas well. 

"You told them that we were going to buy a walnut grove. You oughtnever to let slip anything you happen to know of any man's businessplans. "

"Oh!" she said blankly. 

Having voiced his straightforward objection, and delivered his simplebut direct lesson, Mr. Turner turned as decisively to other matters. 

"Son, " he asked, leaning over toward the chauffeur, "are there anyspeed limit laws on these roads?"

"None that I know of, " replied the boy. 

"Then cut her loose. Do you object to fast driving, Miss Stevens?"

"Not at all, " she told him, either much chastened by the late rebuke ormuch amused by it. She could scarcely tell which, as yet. "I don'tparticularly long for a broken neck, but I never can feel that my timehas come. "

"It hasn't, " returned Sam. "Let's see your palm, " and taking her handhe held it up before him. It was a small hand that he saw, and mostgracefully formed, but a strong one, too, and Sam Turner had anextremely quick and critical eye for both strength and beauty. "Youare going to live to be a gray-haired grandmother, " he announced afteran inspection of her pink palm, "and live happily all your life. "

It was noteworthy that no matter what his impulse may have been he didnot hold her hand overly long, nor subject it to undue warmth ofpressure, but restored it gently to her lap. She was remarking uponthis herself as she took that same hand and passed its tapering fingersdeftly among the twigs of the tree-bouquet, arranging a leaf here and aberry there. 

CHAPTER IV

A LITTLE VACATION PASTIME IN WHICH GREEK MEETS GREEK

Old man Gifford was not at home in his squat, low-roofed farm-house, but a woman shaped like a pyramid of diminishing pumpkins directed themdown through the grove to the corn patch. It was necessary to liftstrenuously upon the sagging end of a squeaky old gate, and scrape itacross gulleys, to get the automobile into the narrow, deeply-ruttedroad, and with a mind fearful of tires the chauffeur wheeled downthrough the grove quite slowly, a slowness for which Sam was dulygrateful, since it allowed him to take a careful appraisement of thewalnut trees, interspersed with occasional oaks, which bordered bothsides of their path. They were tall, thick, straight-trunked trees, from amongst which the underbrush had been carefully cut away. It wasa joy to his now vandal soul, this grove, and already he could seethose majestic trunks, after having been sawed with as little wastefulchopping as possible, toppling in endless billowy furrows. 

Old man Gifford came inquiringly up between the long rows of corn tothe far edge of the grove. He was bent and weazened, and more gnarledthan any of his trees, and even his fingers seemed to have the knotty, angular effect of twigs. A fringe of gray beard surrounded hisclean-shaven face, which was criss-crossed with innumerable littlefurrows that the wind and rain had worn in it; but a pair of shrewd oldeyes twinkled from under his bushy eyebrows. 

"Morning, 'Ennery, " he said, addressing the chauffeur with a squeakylittle voice in which, though after forty years of residence inAmerica, there was still a strong trace of British accent; and then hiscalculating gaze rested calmly in turns upon the other occupants of themachine. 

"Good morning, Mr. Gifford, " returned the chauffeur. "Fine day, isn'tit?"

"Good corn-ripenin' weather, " agreed the old man, squinting at the skyfrom force of habit, and then, being satisfied that there was nothreatening cloud in all the visible blue expanse, he returned to acalm consideration of the strangers, waiting patiently for Mr. Turnerto introduce himself. 

"I understand, Mr. Gifford, that you are open to an offer for yourwalnut trees, " began Mr. Turner, looking at his watch. 

"Well, I might be, " admitted the old man cautiously. 

"I see, " returned Sam; "that is, you might be interested if the pricewere right. Let's get right down to brass tacks. How much do youwant?"

"Standin' or cut?"

"Well, say standing?"

"How much do you offer?"

Miss Stevens' gaze roved from the one to the other and found enjoymentin the fact that here Greek had met Greek. 

Sam's reply was prompt and to the point. He named a price. 

"No, " said the old man instantly. "I been a-holdin' out for fivedollars a thousand more than that. "

Things were progressing. A basis for haggling had been established. Sam Turner, however, had the advantage. He knew the sharp advance inwalnut announced that morning. Old man Gifford would not be aware ofit until the rural free delivery brought his evening paper, of thenight before, some time that afternoon. In view of the recent advance, even at Mr. Gifford's price there was a handsome profit in thetransaction. 

"The reason you've had to hold out for your rate until right now wasthat nobody would pay it, " said Sam confidently. "Now I'm here to talkspot cash. I'll give you, say, a thousand dollars down, and thebalance immediately upon measurement as the logs are loaded upon thecars. "

The old man nodded in approval. 

"The terms is all right, " he said. 

"How much will you take F. O. B. Restview?"

"Well, cuttin' and trimmin' and haulin' ain't much in my line, "returned the old man, again cautious; "but after all, I reckon thatthere'd be less damage to my property if I looked after it myself. Ofcourse, I'd have to have a profit for handlin' it. I'd feel likeholdin' out for--for--" and after some hesitation he again named afigure. 

"You've made that same proposition to others, " charged Sam shrewdly, "and you couldn't get the price. " Upon the heels of this he made hisown offer. 

The old man shook his head and turned as if to start back to the cornfield. 

"No, I can get better than that, " he declared, shaking his head. 

"Come back here and let's talk turkey, " protested Sam compellingly. "You name the very lowest price you'll take, delivered on board thecars at Restview. "

The old man reached down, pulled up a blade of grass, chewed itcarefully, spit it out, and named his very, very lowest price; then headded: "What's the most you'll give?"

Miss Stevens leaned forward intently. 

Sam very promptly named a figure five dollars lower. 

"I'll split the difference with you, " offered the old man. 

"It's a bargain!" said Sam, and reaching into the inside pocket of histennis coat, he brought out some queer furniture for that sort ofgarment--a small fountain pen and an extremely small card-case, fromthe latter of which he drew four folded blank checks. 

He reached over and borrowed the chauffeur's enameled cap, dusted itcarefully with his handkerchief, laid a check upon it and held hisfountain pen poised. "What are your initials, please, Mr. Gifford?"

"Wait a minute, " said the old man hastily. "Don't make out that checkjust yet. I don't do any business or sign any contracts till I talkwith Hepseba. "

"All right. Climb right in with Henry there, " directed Sam, seizingupon the chauffeur's name. "We'll drive straight up to see her. "

"I'll walk, " firmly declared Mr. Gifford. "I never have rode in one ofthem things, and I'm too old to begin. "

"Very well, " said Sam cheerfully, jumping out of the machine with greatpromptness. "I'll walk with you. Back to the house, Henry, " and hestarted anxiously to trudge up the road with Mr. Gifford, leaving Henryto manoeuver painfully in the narrow space. After a few steps, however, a sudden thought made him turn back. "Maybe you'd rather walkup, too, " he suggested to Miss Stevens. 

"No, I think I'll ride, " she said coldly. 

He opened the door in extreme haste. 

"Do come on and walk, " he pleaded. "Don't hold it against me because Ijust don't seem to be able to think of more than one thing at a time;but I was so wrapped up in this deal that-- Really, " and he sank hisvoice confidentially, "I have a tremendous bargain here, and I'll benervous about it until I have it clenched. I'll tell you why as we gohome. "

He held out his hand as a matter of course to help her down. The whiteof his eyes was remarkably clear, the irises were remarkably blue, thepupils remarkably deep. Suddenly her face cleared and she laughed. 

"It was silly of me to be snippy, wasn't it?" she confessed, as shetook his hand and stepped lightly to the ground. It had just recurredto her that when he knew Princeman was walking over to see her he hadsaid nothing, but had engaged an automobile. 

Old man Gifford had nothing much to say when they caught up with him. Mr. Turner tried him with remarks about the weather, and received fullinformation, but when he attempted to discuss the details of the walnutpurchase, he received but mere grunts in reply, except finally this:

"There's no use, young man. I won't talk about them trees till I getHepseba's opinion. "

At the house Hepseba waddled out on the little stoop in response to oldman Gifford's call, and stood regarding the strangers stonily throughher narrow little slits of eyes. 

"This gentleman, Hepseba, " said old man Gifford, "wants to buy mywalnut trees. What do you think of him?"

In response to that leading question, Hepseba studied Sam Turner fromhead to foot with the sort of scrutiny under which one slightly reddens. 

[Illustration: Hepseba studied him from head to foot]

"I like him, " finally announced Hepseba, in a surprisingly liquid andfeminine voice. "I like both of them, " an unexpected turn whichbrought a flush to the face of Miss Stevens. 

"All right, young man, " said old man Gifford briskly. "Now, then, youcome in the front room and write your contract, and I'll take yourcheck. "

All alacrity and open cordiality now, he led the way into the queer-oldfront room, musty with the solemnity of many dim Sundays. 

"Just set down here in this easy chair, Mrs. -- What did you say yourname is?" Mr. Gifford inquired, turning to Sam. 

"Turner; Sam J. Turner, " returned that gentleman, grinning. "But thisis Miss Stevens. "

"No offense meant or taken, I hope, " hastily said the old man by way ofapology; "but I do say that Mr. Turner would be lucky if he had such apretty wife. "

"You have both good taste and good judgment, Mr. Gifford, " commentedSam as airily as he could; then he looked across at Miss Stevens andlaughed aloud, so openly and so ingenuously that, so far from thelaughter giving offense, it seemed, strangely enough, to put MissJosephine at her ease, though she still blushed furiously. There wasnothing in that laugh nor in his look but frank, boyish enjoyment ofthe joke. 

There ensued a crisp and decisive conversation between Mr. Gifford andMr. Turner about the details of their contract, and 'Ennery waspresently called in to append to it his painfully precise signature invertical writing, Miss Stevens adding hers in a pretty round hand. Then Hepseba, to bind the bargain, brought in hot apple pie fresh fromthe oven, and they became quite a little family party indeed, and veryfriendly, 'Ennery sitting in the parlor with them and eating his piewith a fork. 

"I know what Hepseba thinks, " said old man Gifford, as he held the doorof the car open for them. "She thinks you're a mighty keen young manthat has to be watched in the beginning of a bargain, because you'llgive as little as you can; but that after the bargain's made you don'tneed any more watching. But Lord love you, I have to be watched in abargain myself. I take everything I can. "

As he finished saying this he was closing the door of the car, butHepseba called to them to wait, and came puffing out of the house witha little bundle wrapped in a newspaper. 

"I brought this out for your wife, " she said to Mr. Turner, and handedit to Miss Josephine. "It's some geranium slips. Everybody says I gotthe very finest geraniums in the bottoms here. "

"Goodness, Hepseba, " exclaimed old man Gifford, highly delighted; "thatain't his wife. That's Miss Stevens. I made the same mistake, " and hehawhawed in keen enjoyment. 

Hepseba was so evidently overcome with mortification, however, and herhuge round face turned so painfully red, that Miss Stevens lostentirely any embarrassment she might otherwise have felt. 

"It doesn't matter at all, I assure you, Mrs. Gifford, " she said withcharming eagerness to set Hepseba at ease. "I am very fond ofgeraniums, and I shall plant these slips and take good care of them. Ithank you very, very much for them. "

As the machine rolled away Hepseba turned to old man Gifford:

"I like both of them!" she stated most decisively. 

CHAPTER V

MISS JOSEPHINE'S FATHER AGREES THAT SAM TURNER IS ALL BUSINESS

"And now, " announced Sam in calm triumph as they neared Hollis CreekInn, "I'll finish up this deal right away. There is no use in myholding for a further rise at this time, and I'll just sell these treesto your father. "

"To father!" she gasped, and then, as it dawned upon her that she hadbeen out all morning to help Sam Turner buy up trees to sell to her ownfather at a profit, she burst forth into shrieks of laughter. 

"What's the joke?" Sam asked, regarding her in amazement, and then, more or less dimly, he perceived. "Still, " he said, relapsing intoserious consideration of the affair, "your father will be in luck tobuy those trees at all, even at the ten dollars a thousand profit he'llhave to pay me. There is not less than a hundred thousand feet ofwalnut in that grove. 

"Mercy!" she said. "Why, that will make you a thousand dollars forthis morning's drive; and the opportunity was entirely accidental, onewhich would not have occurred if you hadn't come over to see me in thismachine. I think I ought to have a commission. "

"You ought to be fined, " Sam retorted. "You had me scared stiff at onetime. "

"How was that?" she demanded. 

"Why, of course you didn't think, but when you told the boys that I wasgoing out to buy a walnut grove, they were right on their way to seeyour father. It would have been very natural for one of them tomention our errand. Your father might have immediately inquired wherethere was walnut to be found, and have telephoned to old man Giffordbefore I could reach him. "

"You needn't have worried!" stated Miss Josephine in a tone soindignant that Sam turned to her in astonishment. "My father would nothave done anything so despicable as that, I am quite sure!"

"He wouldn't!" exclaimed Sam. "I'll bet he would. Why, how do yousuppose your father became rich in the lumber trade if it wasn'tthrough snapping up bargains every time he found one?"

"I have no doubt that my father has been and is a very alert businessman, " retorted Miss Josephine most icily; "but after he knew that youhad started out actually to purchase a tract of lumber, he wouldcertainly consider that you had established a prior claim upon theproperty. "

"Your father's name is Theophilus Stevens, isn't it?"

"Yes. "

"Humph!" said Sam, but he did not explain that exclamation, nor was heasked to explain. Miss Stevens had been deeply wounded by the assaultupon her father's business morality, and she desired to hear no furtherelaboration of the insult. 

She was glad that they were drawing up now to the porch, glad thisride, with its many disagreeable features, was over, although shecarefully gathered up her bright-berried branches, which were not halfso much withered as she had expected them to be, and held her geraniumslips cautiously as she alighted. 

Her father came out to the edge of the porch to meet them. He paid noattention to his daughter. 

"Well, Sam Turner, " said Mr. Stevens, stroking his aggressive beard, "Ihear you got it, confound you! What do you want for your lumbercontract?"

"Just the advance of this morning's quotations, " replied Sam. "Princeman tell you I was after it?"

"No, not at first, " said Stevens. "I received a telegram about thatgrove just an hour ago, from my partner. Princeman was with me whenthe telegram came, and he told me then that you had just gone out onthe trail. I did my best to get Gifford by 'phone before you couldreach him. "

"Father!" exclaimed Miss Josephine. 

"What's the matter, Jo?"

"You say you actually tried to--to get in ahead of Mr. Turner in buyingthis lumber, knowing that he was going down there purposely for it?"

"Why, certainly, " admitted her father. 

"But did you know that I was with Mr. Turner?"

"_Why, certainly_!"

"Father!" was all she could gasp, and without deigning to say good-byto Mr. Turner, or to thank him for the ride or the bouquet of branchesor even the geranium slips which she had received under falsepretenses, she hurried away to her room, oppressed with Heaven onlyknows what mortification, and also with what wonder at the ways of men!

However, Princeman and Billy Westlake and young Hollis with the curlyhair were impatiently waiting for Miss Josephine at the tennis court, as they informed her in a jointly signed note sent up to her by a boy, and hastily removing the dust of the road she ran down to join them. As she went across the lawn, tennis bat in hand, Sam Turner, discussinglumber with Mr. Stevens, saw her and stopped talking abruptly to admirethe trim, graceful figure. 

"Does your daughter play tennis much?" he inquired. 

"A great deal, " returned Mr. Stevens, expanding with pride. "Jo's avery expert player. She's better at it than any of these girls, andshe really doesn't care to play except with experts. Princeman, Hollisand Billy Westlake are easily the champions here. "

"I see, " said Sam thoughtfully. 

"I suppose you're a crack player yourself, " his host resumed, glancingat Sam's bat. 

"Me? No, worse than a dub. I never had time; that is, until now. I'll tell you, though, this being away from the business grind is agreat thing. You don't know how I enjoy the fresh air and the beingout in the country this way, and the absolute freedom from businesscares and worries. "

"But where are you going?" asked Stevens, for Sam was getting up. "You'll stay to lunch with us, won't you?"

"No, thanks, " replied Sam, looking at his watch. "I expect some wordfrom my kid brother. I have wired him to send some samples of marshpulp, and the paper we've had made from it. "

"Marsh pulp, " repeated Mr. Stevens. "That's a new one on me. What'sit like?"

"Greatest stunt on earth, " replied Sam confidently. "It is our schemeto meet the deforestation danger on the way--coming. "

Already he was reaching in his pocket for paper and pencil, and satdown again at the side of Mr. Stevens, who immediately began strokinghis aggressive beard. Fifteen minutes later Sam briskly got up againand Mr. Stevens shook hands with him. 

"That's a great scheme, " he said, and he gazed after Sam's broadshoulders admiringly as that young man strode down the steps. 

On his way Sam passed the tennis court where the one girl and threeyoung men were engaged in a most dextrous game, a game which all theother amateurs of Hollis Creek Inn had stopped their own sets to watch. In the pause of changing sides Miss Josephine saw him and waved herhand and wafted a gay word to him. A second later she was in the air, a lithe, graceful figure, meeting a high "serve, " and Sam walked onquite thoughtfully. 

When he arrived at Meadow Brook his first care was for his telegram. It was there, and bore the assurance that the samples would arrive onthe following morning. His next step was to hunt Miss Westlake. Thatplump young person forgot her pique of the morning in an instant whenhe came up to her with that smiling "been-looking-for-you-everywhere, mighty-glad-to-see-you" cordiality. 

"I want you to teach me tennis, " he said immediately. 

"I'm afraid I can't teach you much, " she replied with becomingdiffidence, "because I'm not a good enough player myself; but I'll domy best. We'll have a set right after luncheon; shall we?"

"Fine!" said he. 

After luncheon Mr. Westlake and Mr. Cuthbert waylaid him, but he merelythrust his telegram into Mr. Westlake's hands, and hurried off to thetennis grounds with Miss Westlake and Miss Hastings and lanky BobTilloughby, who stuttered horribly and blushed when he spoke, and wasin deadly seriousness about everything. Never did a man work so hardat anything as Sam Turner worked at tennis. He had a keen eye and adextrous wrist, and he kept the game up to top-notch speed. Of coursehe made blunders and became confused in his count and overlookedopportunities, but he covered acres of ground, as Vivian Hastingsexpressed it, and when, at the end of an hour, they sat down, panting, to rest, young Tilloughby, with painful earnestness, assured him thathe had "the mum-mum-makings of a fine tennis player. "

Sam considered that compliment very thoughtfully, but he was a trifledubious. Already he perceived that tennis playing was not only anoccupation but a calling. 

"Thanks, " said he. "It's mighty nice of you to say so, Tilloughby. What's the next game?"

"The nun-nun-next game is a stroll, " Tilloughby soberly advised him. "It always stus-stus-starts out as a foursome, and ends up intut-tut-two doubles. "

So they strolled. They wound along the brookside among some of thepretty paths, and in the rugged places Miss Westlake threw her weightupon Sam's helping arm as much as possible; in the concealed places shelanguished, which she did very prettily, she thought, considering herone hundred and sixty-three pounds. They took him through a detour ofshady paths which occupied a full hour to traverse, but this particulargame did not wind up in "two doubles. " In spite of all the excellenttête-à-tête opportunities which should have risen for both couples, Miss Westlake was annoyed to find Miss Hastings right close behind, andholding even the conversation to a foursome. 

In the meantime, Sam Turner took careful lessons in the art of talkingtwaddle, and they never knew that he was bored. Having entered intothe game he played it with spirit, and before they had returned to thehouse Mr. Tilloughby was calling him Sus-Sus-Sam. 

The girls disappeared for their beauty sleep, and Sam found McComas andBilly Westlake hunting for him. 

"Do you play base-ball?" inquired McComas. 

"A little. I used to catch, to help out my kid brother, who is anexpert pitcher. "

"Good!" said McComas, writing down Sam's name. "Princeman will pitch, but we needed a catcher. The rivalry between Meadow Brook and HollisCreek is intense this year. They've captured nearly all the earlytrophies, but we're going over there next week for a match game andwe're about crazy to win. "

"I'll do the best I can, " promised Sam. "Got a base-ball? We'll goout and practise. "

They slammed hot ones into each other for a half hour, and when theyhad enough of it, McComas, wiping his brow, exclaimed approvingly:

"You'll do great with a little more warming up. We have a couple ofcorking players, but we need them. Hollis always pitches for HollisCreek, and he usually wins his game. On baseball day he's the idol ofall the girls. "

Sam Turner placed his hand meditatively upon the back of his neck as hewalked in to dress for dinner. Making a good impression upon the girlswas a separate business, it seemed, and one which required muchpreparation. Well, he was in for the entire circus, but he realizedthat he was a little late in starting. In consequence he could notafford to overlook any of the points; so, before dressing for dinner, he paid a quiet visit to the greenhouses. 

That evening, while he was bowling with all the earnestness that in himlay, Josephine Stevens, resisting the importunities of young Hollis forsome music, sat by her father. 

"Father, " she asked after long and sober thought, "was it right foryou, knowing Mr. Turner to be after that walnut lumber, to try to getit away from him by telephoning?"

"It certainly was!" he replied emphatically. "Turner went down therewith a deliberate intention of buying that lumber before I could getit, so that he could sell it to me at as big a gain as possible. Ipaid him one thousand dollars profit for his contract. I had struggledmy best to beat him to it; only I was too late. Both of us wereplaying the game according to the rules, but he is a younger player. "

"I see. " Another long pause. "Here's another thing. Mr. Turnerhappened to know of this increase in the price of lumber, and hehurried down there to a man who didn't know about that, and bought it. If Mr. Gifford had known of the new rates, Mr. Turner could not havebought those trees at the price he did, could he?"

"Certainly not, " agreed her father. "He would have had to pay nearly athousand dollars more for them. "

"Then that wasn't right of Mr. Turner, " she asserted. 

"My child, " said Mr. Stevens wearily, "all business is conducted for aprofit, and the only way to get it is by keeping alive and knowingthings that other people will find out to-morrow. Sam Turner is theshrewdest and the livest young man I've met in many a day, and he'ssquare as a die. I'd take his word on any proposition; wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I think I'd take his word, " she admitted, and very positively, after mature deliberation. "But truly, father, don't you think he'stoo much concentrated on business? He hasn't a thought in his mind foranything else. For instance, this morning he came over to take me anautomobile ride around Bald Hill, and when he found out about thiswalnut grove, without either apology or explanation to me he orderedthe chauffeur to drive right down there. "

"Fine, " laughed her father. "I'd like to hire him for my manager, if Icould only offer him enough money. But I don't see your point ofcriticism. It seems to me that he's a mighty presentable and likableyoung fellow, good looking, and a gentleman in the sense in which Ilike to use that word. "

"Yes, he is all of those things, " she admitted again; "but it is a flawin a young man, isn't it, " she persisted, betraying an unusuallyanxious interest, "for him never to think of a solitary thing but justbusiness?"

They were sitting in one of the alcoves of the assembly room, and atthat moment a bell-boy, wandering around the place with apparentaimlessness, spied them and brought to Miss Josephine a big box. Sheopened it and an exclamation of pleasure escaped her. In the box was ahuge bouquet of exquisite roses, soft and glowing, delicious in theirfragrance. 

Impulsively she buried her face in them. 

"Oh, how delightful!" she cried, and she drew out the white card whichpeeped forth from amidst the stems. "They are from Mr. Turner!" shegasped. 

"You're quite right about him, " commented her father dryly. "He's allbusiness. "

CHAPTER VI

IN WHICH THE SUMMER LOAFER ORDERS SOME MARASCHINO CHOCOLATES

Before Sam had his breakfast the next morning, he sat in his room withsome figures with which Blackrock and Cuthbert had provided him theevening before. He cast them up and down and crosswise and diagonally, balanced them and juggled them and sorted them and shifted them, untilat last he found the rat hole, and smiling grimly, placed those pagesof neat figures in a small letter file which he took from his trunk. One thing was certain: the Meadow Brook capitalists were highlyinterested in his plan, or they would never go to the trouble todevise, so early in the game, a scheme for gaining control of the marshpulp corporation. Well, they were the exact people he wanted. 

Immediately after breakfast Miss Stevens telephoned over to thank himfor his beautiful roses, and he had the pleasure of letting her know, quite incidentally, that he had gone down to the rose-beds and pickedout each individual blossom himself, which, of course, accounted fortheir excellence. Also he suggested coming over that morning for abrief walk. 

No, she was very sorry, but she was just making ready to go outhorseback riding with Mr. Hollis, who, by the way, was an excellentrider; but they would be back from their canter about ten-thirty, andif Mr. Turner cared to come over for a game of tennis before luncheon, why--

"Sorry I can't do it, " returned Mr. Turner with the deepest of genuineregret in his tone. "My kid brother is sending me some samples of pulpand paper which will arrive at about eleven o'clock, and I have calleda meeting of some interested parties here to examine them at abouteleven. "

"Business again, " she protested. "I thought you were on a vacation. "

"I am, " he assured her in surprise. "I never lazied around so orfrittered up so much time in my life; and I'm enjoying every second ofmy freedom, too. I tell you, it's fine. But say, this meeting won'ttake over an hour. Why can't I come over right after lunch?"

She was very sorry, this time a little less regretfully, that afterluncheon she had an engagement with Mr. Princeman to play a match gameof croquet. But, and here she relented a trifle, they were getting upa hasty, informal dance over at Hollis Creek for that evening. Wouldhe come over?

He certainly would, and he already spoke for as many dances as shewould give him. 

"I'll give you what I can, " she told him; "but I've already promisedthree of them to Billy Westlake, who is a divine dancer. "

Sam Turner was deeply thoughtful as he turned away from the telephone. Hollis was a superb horseback rider. Billy Westlake was a divinedancer. Princeman, he had learned from Miss Stevens, who had spokenwith vast enthusiasm, was a base-ball hero. Hollis and Princeman andWestlake were crack bowlers, also crack tennis players, and no doubtall three were even expert croquet players. It was easy to see thesort of men she admired. Sam Turner only knew one recipe to getthings, and he had made up his mind to have Miss Stevens. He promptlysought Miss Westlake. 

"Do you ride?" he wanted to know. 

"Not as often as I'd like, " she said. 

Really, she had half promised to go driving with Tilloughby, but it wasnot an actual promise, and if it were she was quite willing to get outof it, if Mr. Turner wanted her to go along, although she did not sayso. Young Tilloughby was notoriously an impossible match. Butpossibly Mr. Tilloughby and Miss Hastings might care to join the party. She suggested it. 

"Why, certainly, " said Sam heartily. "The more the merrier, " which wasnot the thing she wanted him to say. 

Tilloughby, a trifle disappointed yet very gracious, consented to ridein place of drive, and Miss Hastings was only too delighted; entirelytoo much so, Miss Westlake thought. Accordingly they rode, and Saminsisted on lagging behind with Miss Westlake, which she took to be ofconsiderable significance, and exhibited a very obvious flutteringabout it. Sam's motive, however, was to watch Tilloughby in thesaddle, for in their conversation it had developed that Tilloughby wasa very fair rider; and everything that he saw Tilloughby do, Sam did. En route they met Hollis and Miss Stevens, cantering just where theBald Hill road branched off, and the cavalcade was increased to six. Once, in taking a narrow cross-cut down through the woods, Sam had thefelicity of riding beside Miss Stevens for a moment, and she put herhand on his horse and patted its glossy neck and admired it, while Samadmired the hand. He felt, in some way or other, that riding for thatten yards by her side was a sort of triumph over Hollis, until he sawher dash up presently by the side of Hollis again and chat brightlywith that young gentleman. 

Thereafter Sam quit watching Tilloughby and watched Hollis. Curly-headwas an accomplished rider, and Sam felt that he himself cut but anawkward figure. In reality he was too conscious of his defects. Bystrict attention he was proving himself a fair ordinary rider, but whenHollis, out of sheer showiness, turned aside from the path to jump hishorse over a fallen tree, and Miss Stevens out of bravado followed him, Sam Turner well-nigh ground his teeth, and, acting upon the impulse, hetoo attempted the jump. The horse got over safely, but Sam went acropper over his head, and not being a particle hurt had to endure thegood-natured laughter of the balance of them. Miss Stevens seemed asmuch amused as any one! He had not caught her look of fright as hefell nor of concern as he rose, nor could he estimate that her laughwas a mild form of hysteria, encouraged because it would deceive. Whatan ass he was, he savagely thought, to exhibit himself before her in anattempt like that, without sufficient preparation! He must ride everymorning, by himself. 

Miss Josephine and Mr. Hollis were bound for the Bald Hill circle, andthey insisted, the insistence being largely on the part of MissStevens, on the others accompanying them; but Mr. Turner's engagementat eleven o'clock would not admit of this, and reluctantly he took MissHastings back with him, leaving Miss Westlake and young Tilloughby togo on. The arrangement suited him very well, for at least Hollis' ridewith Miss Stevens would not be a tête-à-tête. Miss Westlake strove tolet him understand as plainly as she could that she was only going withMr. Tilloughby because of her previous semi-engagement with him--andthere seemed a coolness between Miss Westlake and Miss Hastings as theyseparated. Miss Hastings did her best on the way back to console Mr. Turner for the absence of Miss Westlake. Vivacious as she always was, she never was more so than now, and before Sam knew it he had engagedhimself with her to gather ferns in the afternoon. 

Upon his arrival at Meadow Brook, he found his express package and alsoa couple of important letters awaiting him, and immediately held on theporch a full meeting of the tentative Marsh Pulp Company. In thatmeeting he decided on four things: first, that these hard-headed men ofbusiness were highly favorable to his scheme; second, that Princemanand Cuthbert, who knew most about paper and pulp, were so profoundlyimpressed with his samples that they tried to conceal it from him;third, that Princeman, at first his warmest adherent, was now moststubbornly opposed to him, not that he wished to prevent forming thecompany, but that he wished to prevent Sam's having his own way;fourth, that the crowd had talked it over and had firmly determinedthat Sam should not control their money. Princeman was especiallysevere. 

"There is no question but that these samples are convincing of theirown excellence, " he admitted; "but properly to estimate the value ofboth pulp and paper, it would be necessary to know, by rigidexperiment, the precise difficulties of manufacture, to say nothing ofthe manner in which these particular specimens were produced. "

Mr. Princeman's words had undoubted weight, casting, as they did, aclammy suspicion upon Sam's samples. 

"I had thought of that, " confessed Mr. Turner, "and had I not beenprepared to meet such a natural doubt, to say nothing of such a naturalinsinuation, I should never have submitted these samples. Mr. Princeman, do you know G. W. Creamer of the Eureka Paper Mills?"

Mr. Princeman, with a wince, did, for G. W. Creamer and the EurekaPaper Mills were his most successful competitors in the manufacture ofspecial-priced high-grade papers. Mr. Cuthbert also knew Mr. Creamerintimately. 

"Good, " said Sam; "then Mr. Creamer's letter will have some weight, "and he turned it over to Mr. Blackrock. That gentleman, setting hisspectacles astride his nose and assuming his most profoundlyprofessional air, read aloud the letter in which Mr. Creamer thankedTurner and Turner for reposing confidence enough in him to reveal theirprocess and permit him to make experiments, and stated, with manyconvincing facts and figures, that he had made several separate samplesof the pulp in his experimental shop, and from the pulp had made paper, samples of which he enclosed under separate cover, stating further thatthe pulp could be manufactured far cheaper than wood pulp, and that thequality of the paper, in his estimation, was even superior; and whenthe company was formed, he wished to be set down for a good, fat blockof stock. 

Having submitted exhibit A in the form of his brother's samples of pulpand paper, exhibit B in the form of Mr. Creamer's letter, and exhibit Cin the form of Mr. Creamer's own samples of pulp and paper, Mr. Turnerrested quite comfortably in his chair, thank you. 

"This seems to make the thing positive, " admitted Mr. Princeman. "Mr. Turner, would you mind sending some samples of your material to myfactory with the necessary instructions?"

"Not at all, " replied Sam suavely. "We would be pleased indeed to doso, just as soon as our patents are allowed. "

"Pending that, " suggested Mr. Westlake placidly, looking out over thebrook, "why couldn't we organize a sort of tentative company? Whycouldn't we at least canvass ourselves and see how much of Mr. Turner'sstock we would take up among us?"

"That is, " put in Mr. Cuthbert, screwing the remark out of himselfsidewise, "provided the terms of incorporation and promotion weresatisfactory to us. "

"I have already drawn up a sort of preliminary proposition, afterconsultation with our friends here, " Mr. Blackrock now stated, "andpurely as a tentative matter it might be read. "

"Go right ahead, " directed Sam. "I'm a good listener. "

Mr. Blackrock slowly and ponderously read the proposed plan ofincorporation. Sam rose and looked at his watch. 

"It won't do, " he announced sharply. "That whole thing, in accordancewith the figures you submitted me last night, is framed up for the solepurpose of preventing my ever securing control, and if I do not have achance, at least, at control, I won't play. "

"You seem to be very sure of that, " said Mr. Princeman, surveying himcoldly; "but there is another thing equally sure, and that is that youcan not engage capital in as big an enterprise as this on any basiswhich will separate the control and the money. "

"I'm going to try it, though, " retorted Sam. "If I can't separate thecontrol and the money I suppose I'll have to put up with the best termsI can get. If you will let me have that prospectus of yours, Mr. Blackrock, I'll take it up to my room and study it, and draw up acounter prospectus of my own. "

"With pleasure, " said Mr. Blackrock, handing it over courteously, andMr. Turner rose. 

"I'll say this much, Sam, " stated Mr. Westlake, who seemed to havegrown more friendly as Mr. Princeman grew cooler; "if you can get aproposition upon which we are all agreed, I'll take fifty thousand ofthat stock myself, at fifty. "

"As a matter of fact, Mr. Turner, " added Mr. Cuthbert, "including yourfriend Creamer, who insists upon being in, I imagine that we canfinance your entire company right in this crowd--if the terms areright. "

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure, I'm sure, " said Mr. Turner, and bowed himself away. 

In place of going to his room, however, he went to the telegraphoffice, and wired his brother in New York:

"How are you coming on with pulp company stock subscription?"

The telegraph office was in one corner of the post-office, which wasalso a souvenir room, with candy and cigar counters, and as he turnedaway from the telegraph desk he saw Princeman at the candy counter. 

"No, I don't care for any of these, " Princeman was saying. "If youhaven't maraschino chocolates I don't want any. "

Sam immediately stepped back to the telegraph desk and sent anotherwire to his brother:

"Express fresh box maraschino chocolates to Miss Josephine StevensHollis Creek Inn enclose my card personal cards in upper right-handpigeonhole my desk. "

Then he went up-stairs to get ready for lunch. Immediately afterluncheon he received the following wire from his brother:

"Stock subscription rotten everybody likes scheme but object to ourcontrol but no hurry why don't you rest maraschinos shippedcongratulate you. "

CHAPTER VII

WHICH EXHIBITS THE IMPORTANCE OF REMEMBERING A DANCE NUMBER

And so the kid was finding the same trouble which he had met. They hadbeen too frank in stating that they intended to obtain control of thecompany without any larger investments than their patents and theirscheme. Sam wandered through the hall, revolving this matter in hismind, and out at the rear door, which framed an inviting vista ofgreen. He strolled back past the barn toward the upper reaches of thebrook path, and sitting amid the comfortably gnarled roots of a bigtree he lit a cigar and began with violence to snap little pebbles intothe brook. If he were promoting a crooked scheme, he reflectedsavagely, he would have no difficulty whatever in floating it uponalmost any terms he wanted. Well, there was one thing certain; at thefinish, control would be in his own hands! But how to secure it andstill float the company promptly and advantageously? There was theproblem. He liked this crowd. They were good, keen, vigorous, enterprising men, fine men with whom to do business, men who wouldsnatch control away from him if they could, and throw him out in thecold in a minute if they deemed it necessary or expedient. Of coursethat was to be expected. It was a part of the game. He would ratherdeal with these progressive people, knowing their tendencies, than witha lot of sapheads. 

How to get control? He lingered long and thoughtfully over thatquestion, perhaps an hour, until presently he became aware that aslight young girl, with a fetching sun-hat and a basket, was walkingpensively along the path on the opposite side of the brook, for thethird time. Her passing and repassing before his abstracted andunseeing vision had become slightly monotonous, and for the first timehe focused his eyes back from their distant view of pulp marshes andstock certificates and inspected the girl directly. Why, he knew thatgirl! It was Miss Hastings. 

As if in obedience to his steady gaze she looked across at him andwaved her basket. 

"Where are you going?" he asked with the heartiness of enforcedcourtesy. 

"After ferns, " she responded, and laughed. 

"By George, that's so!" he said, and ran up the stream to a narrowplace where he made a magnificent jump and only got one shoe wet. 

He was profuse, not in his apologies, but in his intention to make them. 

"Jinks!" he said. "I'm ashamed to say I forgot all about that. Ifound myself suddenly confronted with a business proposition that hadto be worked out, and I thought of nothing else. "

"I hope you succeeded, " she said pleasantly. 

There wasn't a particle of vengefulness about Miss Hastings. She wasnot one to hold this against him; he could see that at once! Sheunderstood men. She knew that grave problems frequently confrontedthem, and that such minor things as fern gathering expeditions wouldnecessarily have to step aside and be forgotten. She was one of thebright, cheerful, always smiling kind; one who would make a sunshinyhelpmate for any man, and never object to anything he did--beforemarriage. 

All this she conveyed in lively but appealing chatter; all, that is, except the last part of it, a deduction which Sam supplied for himself. For the first time in his life he had paused to judge a girl as hewould "size up" a man, and he was a little bit sorry that he had doneso, for while Miss Hastings was very agreeable, there was a certainacidulous sharpness about her nose and uncompromising thinness abouther lips which no amount of laughing vivacity could quite conceal. 

Dutifully, however, he gathered ferns for the rockery of her aunt inAlbany, and Miss Hastings, in return, did her best to amuse anddelight, and delicately to convey the thought of what an agreeablething it would be for a man always to have this cheerful companionship. She even, on the way back, went so far as inadvertently to call himSam, and apologized immediately in the most charming confusion. 

"Really, " she added in explanation, "I have heard Mr. Westlake and theothers call you Sam so often that the name just seems to slip out. "

"That's right, " he said cordially. "Sam's my name. When people callme Mr. Turner I know they are strangers. "

"Then I think I shall call you Sam, " she said, laughing mostengagingly. "It's so much easier, " and sure enough she did as soon asthey were well within the hearing of Miss Westlake, at the hotel. 

"Oh, Sam, " she called, turning in the doorway, "you have my gloves inyour pocket. "

Miss Westlake stiffened like an icicle, and a stern resolve came uponher. Whatever happened, she saw her duty plainly before her. She hadintroduced Mr. Turner to Miss Hastings, and she was responsible. Itwas her moral obligation to rescue him from the clutches of thatdesigning young person, and she immediately reminded him that she hadan engagement to give him a tennis lesson every day. There was stilltime for a set before dinner. Also, far be it from her to be soforward as to call him Sam, or to annoy him with silly chattering. Shewas serious-minded, was Miss Westlake, and sweet and helpful; any mancould see that; and she fairly adored business. It was so interesting. 

When they came back from their tennis game, hurrying because it washigh time to dress for dinner and the dance, she met Miss Hastings inthe hall, but the two bosom friends barely nodded. There had sprung upan unaccountable coolness between them, a coolness which Sam by nomeans noticed, however, for at the far end of the porch sat Princeman, already back from Hollis Creek to dress, and with him were Westlake andMcComas and Blackrock and Cuthbert, and they were in very closeconference. When Sam approached them they stopped talking abruptly forjust one little moment, then resumed the conversation quite naturally, even more than quite naturally in fact, and the experienced Sam smiledgrimly as he excused himself to dress. 

Billy Westlake met him as he was going up-stairs. To Billy had beenentrusted the office of rounding up all the young people who were goingover to Hollis Creek, and by previous instruction, though wondering athis sister's choice, he assigned Sam to that young lady, a fate whichSam accepted with becoming gratitude. 

He had plenty of food for thought as he donned his costume of deadblack and staring white, and somehow or other he was distrait thatevening all the way over to Hollis Creek. Only when he met MissStevens did he brighten, as he might well do, for Miss Stevens, charming in every guise, was a revelation in evening costume; aravishing revelation; one to make a man pause and wonder and stand inawe, and regard himself as a clumsy creature not worthy to touch thehem of the garment which embellished such a divine being. Neverthelesshe conquered that wave of diffidence in a jiffy, or something like halfthat space of time, and shook hands with her most eagerly, and lookedinto her eyes and was grateful; for he found them smiling up at him inmost friendly fashion, and with rather an electric thrill in them, too, though whether the thrill emanated from the eyes or was merely withinhimself he was not sure. 

"How many dances do I get?" he abruptly demanded. 

"Just two, " she told him, and showed him her card and gave him one onwhich a list of names had already been marked by the young ladies ofHollis Creek. 

He saw on the card two dances with Miss Stevens, one each with MissWestlake and Miss Hastings, and one each with a number of other youngladies whom he had met but vaguely, and one each with some whom he hadnot met at all. He dutifully went through the first dance with a younglady of excellent connections who would make a prime companion for anyadvancing young man with social aspirations; he went dutifully throughthe next dance with a young lady who was keen on intellectual pursuits, and who would make an excellent helpmate for any young man who wishedto advance in culture as he progressed in business, and danced the nextone with a young lady who believed that home-making should be thehighest aim of womankind; and then came his first dance with MissStevens! They did not talk very much, but it was very, very comfortingto be with her, just to know that she was there, and to know thatsomehow she understood. He was sorry, though, that he stepped upon hergown. 

The promenade, which had seemed quite long enough with the other youngladies, seemed all too short for Sam up to the point when BillyWestlake came to take Miss Josephine away. He was feeling ratherlonely when Tilloughby came up to him, with a charming young lady whowas in quite a flutter. It seemed that there had been a dreadfulmistake in the making out of the dance cards, which the young ladies ofHollis Creek had endeavored to do with strict equity, though hastily, and all was now inextricable confusion. The charming young lady was onthe cards for this dance with both Mr. Tilloughby and Mr. Turner, andMr. Tilloughby had claimed her first. Would Mr. Turner kindly excuseher? Just behind her came another young lady whom Mr. Tilloughbyintroduced. This young lady was on Sam's card for the next dancefollowing this one, but it should be for the eighth dance, and wouldMr. Turner please change his card accordingly, which Mr. Turnerobligingly did, wondering what he should do when it came to the eighthdance and he should find himself obligated to two young ladies. Oh, well, he reflected, no doubt the other young lady was down for theeighth dance with some one else, if they had things so mixed. Of onething he was sure. He had that tenth dance with Miss Stevens. He hadinspected both cards to make certain of that, and had seen withcarefully concealed joy that she had compared them as minutely as hehad. He saw confusion going on all about him, laughing young peopleattempting to straighten out the tangle, and the dance was slow instarting. 

Almost the first two on the floor were Miss Stevens and Billy Westlake, and as he saw them, from his vantage point outside one of the broadwindows, gliding gracefully up the far side of the room, he realizedwith a twinge of impatience what a remarkably unskilled dancer hehimself was. Billy and Miss Stevens were talking, too, with thegreatest animation, and she was looking up at Billy as brightly, evenmore brightly he thought, than she had at himself. There was adelicate flush on her cheeks. Her lips, full and red and deliciouslycurved, were parted in a smile. Confound it anyhow! What could shefind to talk about with Billy Westlake?

He was turning away in more or less impatience, when Mr. Stevens, looking, in some way, with his aggressive, white, outstanding beard, asif he ought to have a red ribbon diagonally across his white shirtfront, ranged beside him. 

"Fine sight, isn't it?" observed Mr. Stevens. 

"Yes, " admitted Mr. Turner, almost shortly, and forced himself to turnaway from the following of that dazzling vision, which was almostpainful under the circumstances. 

By mutual impulse they walked down the length of the side porch andacross the front porch. Sam drew himself away from dancing and certaincorrelated ideas with a jerk. 

"I've been wanting to talk with you, Mr. Stevens, " he observed. "Ithink I'll drop over to-morrow for a little while. "

"Glad to have you any time, Sam, " responded Mr. Stevens heartily, "butthere is no time like the present, you know. What's on your mind?"

"This Marsh Pulp Company, " said Sam; "do you know anything about pulpand paper?"

"A little bit. You know I have some stock in Princeman's company. "

"Oh, " returned Sam thoughtfully. 

"Not enough to hurt, however, " Stevens went on. "Twenty shares, Ibelieve. When I went in I had several times as much, but not enough tomake me a dominant factor by any means, and Princeman, as he made moremoney, wanted some of it, so I let him buy up quite a number of shares. At one time I was very much interested, however, and visited the millsquite frequently. "

"You're rather close to Princeman in a business way, aren't you?" Samasked after duly cautious reflection. 

"Not at all, although we get along very nicely indeed. I made money onmy paper stock, both in dividends and in a very comfortable advancewhen I sold it. Our relations have always been friendly, but verylittle more. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Only Princeman is much interested in my Pulp Company, and all the people who are going in are his friends. The crowd over atMeadow Brook talks of taking up approximately the entire stock of mycompany. I thought possibly you might be interested. "

"I am right now, from what I have already heard of it, " returnedStevens, who had almost at first sight succumbed to that indefinablepersonal appeal which caused Sam Turner to be trusted of all men. "Ishall be very glad to hear more about it. It struck me when you spokeof it yesterday as a very good proposition. "

They had reached the dark corner at the far end of the porch, illuminedonly by the subdued light which came from a half-hidden window, and nowthey sat down. Sam fished in the little armpit pocket of his dresscoat and dragged forth two tiny samples of pulp and two tiny samples ofpaper. 

"These two, " he stated, "were samples sent me to-day by my kid brother. "

Mr. Stevens took the samples and examined them with interest. He felttheir texture. He twisted them and crumpled them and bent thembackward and forward and tore them. Then, the light at this windowbeing too weak, he went to one of the broad windows where a strongerstream of light came out, and examined them anew. Sam, still sittingin his chair, nodded in satisfied approval. He liked that kind ofinspection. Mr. Stevens brought the samples back. 

"They are excellent, so far as I am able to judge, " he announced. "These are samples made by yourselves from marsh products?"

"Yes, " Sam assured him. "Made from marsh-grown material by our newprocess, which is much cheaper than the wood-pulp process. Do you knowMr. Creamer of the Eureka Paper Mills?"

"Not very well. I've met him once or twice at dinners, but I'm notintimately acquainted with him. I hear, however, that he is anauthority. "

"Here's a letter from him, and some samples made by him under ourprocess, " said Sam with secret satisfaction. "I just received themthis morning. " From the same pocket he took the letter without itsenvelope, and with it handed over the two other small samples. 

"That's a fine showing, " Stevens commented when he had examineddocument and samples and brought them back, and he sat down, edgingabout so that he and Sam sat side by side but facing each other, as ina tête-à-tête chair. "Now tell me all about it. "

On and on went the music in the ball-room, on went the shuffling offeet, the swish of garments, the gay talk and laughter of the youngpeople; and on and on talked Mr. Stevens and Mr. Turner, until onefamiliar strain of music penetrated into Sam's inner consciousness; the_Home Sweet Home_ waltz!

"By George!" he exclaimed, jumping up. "That can't be the last. "

"Sounds like it, " commented Mr. Stevens, also rising. "It is the lastif they make up programs as they did in my young days. I don'tremember of many dances where the _Home Sweet Home_ waltz didn't end itup. It's late enough anyhow. It's eleven-thirty. "

"Then I have done it again!" said Sam ruefully. "I had the number tendance with your daughter. "

Mr. Stevens closed his eyes to laugh. 

"You certainly have put your foot in it, " he admitted. "Oh, well, Jo'ssensible, " he added with a father's fond ignorance. "She'llunderstand. "

"That's what I'm afraid of, " replied Mr. Turner ruefully. "You'll haveto intercede for me. Explain to her about it and soften the case asmuch as you can. Frankly, Mr. Stevens, I'd be tremendously cut up tobe on the outs with Miss Josephine. "

"There are shoals of young men who feel that way about it, Sam, " saidMr. Stevens with large and commendable pride. "However, I am glad thatyou have added yourself to the list, " and he gazed after Sam withconsiderable approbation, as that young man hurried away to display hisabjectness to the young lady in question. 

Three times, on the arm of Princeman, she whirled past the open doorwaywhere Sam stood, but somehow or other he found it impossible to catchher eye. The dance ended when she was on the other side of the room, and immediately, with the last strains, the floor was in confusion. Sam tried desperately to hurry across to where she was, but he lost herin the crowd. He did not see her again until all of the Meadow Brookfolk, including himself, were seated in the carryalls, at which timethe Hollis Creek folk were at the edge of the porte-cochère and bothparties were exchanging a gabbling pandemonium of good-bys. He saw herthen, standing back among the crowd, and shouting her adieus asvociferously as any of them. He caught her eye and she nodded to himas pleasantly as to anybody, which was really worse than if she hadrefused to acknowledge him at all!

CHAPTER VIII

NOT SAM'S FAULT THIS TIME

No, Miss Stevens was sorry that she could not go walking with him thatmorning, which was the morning after the dance. She was very politeabout it, too; almost too polite. Her voice over the telephone was assuave and as limpid as could possibly be, but there was a sort ofmetallic glitter behind it, as it were. 

No, she could not see him that afternoon either. She had made a seriesof engagements, in fact, covering the entire day. Also, she regrettedto say, upon further solicitation, that she had made engagementscovering the entire following day. 

No, she was not piqued about his last night's forgetfulness; by nomeans; certainly not; how absurd!

She quite understood. He had been talking business with her father, and naturally such a trifling detail as a dance with frivolous youngpeople would not occur to him. 

Frivolous young people! This was the exact point of the conversationat which Sam, with his ear glued to the receiver of the telephone andno necessity for concealing the concerned expression on hiscountenance, thought, in more or less of a panic, that he must reallybe getting old, which was a good joke, inasmuch as nobody ever took himto be over twenty-five. Heretofore his boyish appearance had worriedhim because it rather stood in the way of business, but now he began tofear that he was losing it; for he was nearing thirty!

Well, pleading was of no avail. He had to give it up. Reluctantly hewent out and took a solitary walk, then came in and religiously playedhis two hours of tennis with Miss Westlake and Miss Hastings andTilloughby. Was he not on vacation, and must he not enjoy himself?Just before he went in to luncheon, however, there was a telephone callfor him. 

Miss Stevens was perplexed to know what divine intuition had told himher obsession for maraschino chocolates. She had one in her fingers atthe very moment she was telephoning, and she was going to pop it intoher mouth while he talked. Being a mere man he could not realize howdelightfully refreshing was a maraschino chocolate. 

Sam had a lively picture of that dainty confection between the tips ofher dainty fingers; he could see the white hand and the graceful wrist, and then he could see those exquisitely curved red lips parting with aflash of white teeth to receive the delicacy; and he had an impulse toclimb through the telephone. 

A little bird had told him about her preference, he stated. He hadthat little bird regularly in his employ to find out other preferences. 

"I had those sent just to show you that I am not altogether absorbed inbusiness, " he went on; "that I can think of other things. Have anotherchocolate. "

"I am, " she laughingly said; "but I'm not going to eat them all. I'mgoing to save one or two for you. "

"Good, " returned Sam in huge delight and relief. "I'll come over toget them any time you say. "

"All right, " she gaily agreed. "As I told you this morning, I have anengagement for this afternoon, but if you'll come over after luncheonI'll try to find a half-hour or so for you anyhow. "

Great blotches of perspiration sprang out on his forehead. 

"Jinks!" he ejaculated. "You know, right after you telephoned me thismorning I made an engagement with Mr. Blackrock and Mr. Cuthbert andMr. Westlake, to go over some proposed incorporation papers. "

"Oh, by all means, then, keep your engagement, " she told him, and hecould feel the instant frigidity which returned to her tone. Azero-like wave seemed to come right through the transmitter of thetelephone and chill the perspiration of his brow into a cold trickle. 

"No, I'll see if I can not set that engagement off for a couple ofhours, " he hastily informed her. 

"By no means, " she protested, more frigidly than before. "Come tothink of it, I don't believe I'd have time anyhow. In fact, I'm surethat I would not. Mr. Hollis is calling me now. Good-by. "

"Wait a minute, " he called desperately into the telephone, but it wasdead, and there is nothing in this world so dead as the telephone fromwhich connection has been suddenly shut off. 

Sam strode into the dining-room and went straight over to Blackrock'stable. 

"I find I have some pressing business right after luncheon, " he said, bending over that gentleman's chair. "I can't possibly meet you at twoo'clock. Will four do you?"

"Why, certainly, " Mr. Blackrock was kind enough to say, and hefurthermore agreed, with equal graciousness, to inform the others. 

Sam ate his luncheon in worried silence, replying only in monosyllablesto the remarks of McComas, who sat at his table, and of Mrs. McComas, who had taken quite a young-motherly fancy to him; and the amount thathe ate was so much at variance with his usual hearty appetite that eventhe maid who waited on his table, a tall, gangling girl with a vinegarface and a kind heart, worried for fear he might be sick, and addedunordered delicacies to his American plan meal. He went over to HollisCreek in the swiftest conveyance he could obtain, which was naturallyan auto, but he did not have 'Ennery for his chauffeur, of which he washeartily glad, for 'Ennery might have wanted to talk. 

On the porch of Hollis Creek Inn he found Princeman and Mr. Stevens inearnest conversation. He knew what that meant. Princeman was alreadydiscussing with Mr. Stevens the matter of control of the Marsh PulpCompany. Princeman rose when Sam stepped up on the porch, and strolledaway from Mr. Stevens. He nodded pleasantly to Turner, and the latter, returning the nod fully as pleasantly, was about to hurry on in searchof Miss Josephine, when Mr. Stevens checked him. 

"Hello, Sam, " he called. "I've just been waiting to see you. "

"All right, " said Sam. "I'll be around presently. "

"No, but come here, " insisted Mr. Stevens. 

Sam cast a nervous glance about the grounds and along the side porch;Miss Josephine most certainly was not among those present. He stillhesitated, impatient to get away. 

"Just a minute, Sam, " insisted Stevens. "I want to talk to you rightnow. "

With unwilling feet Sam went over. 

"Sit down, " directed Stevens, pushing forward a chair. 

"What is it?" asked Sam, still standing. 

"I have been talking with Princeman and Westlake about your Marsh PulpCompany. "

"Yes, " inquired Sam nervously. 

"And everybody seems to be most enthusiastic about it. Fact of thematter is, my boy, I consider it a tremendous investment opportunity. The only drawback there seems to be is in the matter of stockdistribution and voting power. I want you to explain this very fullyto me. "

"I thought you were quite satisfied with our talk last night, " returnedSam, glancing hastily over his shoulder. 

"I am, in so far as the investment goes, Sam. I've promised you thatI'd take a good block of stock, and you've promised to make room for mein the company. I expect to go through with that, but I want to knowabout this other phase of the matter before I get into anyentanglements with opposing factions. Now you sit right down there andtell me about it. "

Despairingly Sam sat down and proceeded briefly and concisely toexplain to him the various plans of incorporation which had beenproposed. Ten minutes later he almost groaned, as a trap, drawn by apair of handsome buckskin horses, driven by Princeman and containingMiss Josephine, crunched upon the gravel driveway in front of theporch. Miss Stevens greeted Mr. Turner very heartily indeed, Princemanstopping for that purpose. Sam ran down and shook hands with her. Oh, she was most cordial; just as cordial and polite as anybody he knew!

"I did not expect you at all, " she said, "but I knew you were here, forI saw you from the window as you came up the drive. Pleasant weather, isn't it? Oh, papa!"

"Yes, " answered Mr. Stevens ponderously from his place on the porch. 

"Up on my dresser you will find a box of candy which Mr. Turner waskind enough to have sent me, and he confesses that he has never tastedmaraschino chocolates. Won't you please run up and get them and letMr. Turner sample them?"

"Huh!" grunted Mr. Stevens. "If Sam Turner insists upon running me uptwo flights of stairs on an errand of that sort, I suppose I'll have togo. But he won't. "

"You're lazy, " she said to her father in affectionate banter, then, with a wave of her hand and a bright nod to Mr. Turner, she was gone!

Sam trudged slowly up on the porch with the heart gone entirely out ofhim for business; and yet, as he approached Mr. Stevens he pulledhimself together with a jerk. After all, she was gone, and he couldnot bring her back, and in his talk with Stevens he had just approacheda grave and serious situation. 

"The fact of the matter is, Mr. Stevens, " said he as he sat down again, "these people are the very people I want to get into my concern, butthey are old hands at the stock incorporation game, and even beforeI've organized the company they are planning to get it out of my hands. Now it is my scheme, mine and the kid brother's, and I don't propose toallow that. "

"Well, Sam, " said Mr. Stevens slowly, "you know capital of late has hada lot of experience with corporate business, and it isn't thefashionable thing this year for the control and the capital to be inseparate hands--right at the very beginning. "

This was the signal for the struggle, and Sam plunged earnestly intothe conflict. At three-fifteen he suddenly rose and made his adieus. He would have liked to stay until Miss Josephine came back, so that hecould make one more desperate attempt to set himself right with her, but there was that deferred engagement with Blackrock, and reluctantlyhe whirled back to Meadow Brook. 

CHAPTER IX

WHEREIN SAM TURNER PROVES HIMSELF TO BE A VIOLENT FLIRT

The rest of that week was a worried and an anxious one for Sam. Hesent daily advices to his brother, and he received daily advices inreturn. The people upon whom he had originally counted to form theMarsh Pulp Company had set themselves coldly against the matter ofcontrol, and on comparing the apparent situation in New York with thesituation at Meadow Brook, he made sure that he could secure moreadvantageous terms with the Princeman crowd. He spent his time inwrestling with his prospective investors both singly and in groups, butthey were obdurate. They liked his company, they saw in it tremendouspossibilities, but they did not intend to invest their money where theycould not vote it. That was flat!

This was on the business side. About the really important matter ofMiss Stevens, since his most recent bad performance, the time when hehad made the special trip to see her and had spent his time in talkingbusiness with her father, he had not been able to come near her. Shewas always engaged. He saw her riding with Hollis; he saw her drivingwith Princeman; he saw her playing tennis with Billy Westlake, but thegreatest boon he ever received was a nod and a pleasant word. Heindustriously sent her flowers. She as industriously sent him nice, polite little notes of thanks. 

In the meantime, alternating with his marsh pulp wrangles, he workedlike a Trojan at the athletic graces he should have cultivated in hisyounger days. He rode every morning; he practised every day at tennisand croquet; every evening he bowled; and every time some one sat atthe piano and played dance music and the young people fell intoimpromptu waltzes and two-steps on the porch, he joined them and dancedreligiously with whomsoever he found to hand; usually Miss Hastings orMiss Westlake. 

The latter ingenious young lady, during this while, continued to adorebusiness, and with increasing fervor every day, and regretted, quitealoud, that she had never paid sufficient attention to this absorbingamusement, out of which all the men, that is, those who were reallystrong and purposeful, seem to derive so much satisfaction! On thefollowing Monday at Bald Hill, when Hollis Creek and Meadow Brookfraternized together, in the annual union picnic, she found occasionfor the most direct tête-à-tête of all anent commercial matters. 

Under Bald Hill were any number of charming natural retreats, jumblesof Titanically toy-strewn, clean, bare rocks, screened here and thereby tangles of young scrub oak and pine which grew apparently on barestone surfaces and out of infinitesimal chinks and crannies, in utterdefiance of all natural law. Go where you would on that day, therewere couples in each of the rock shelters; young couples, engaged inthat fascinating pastime of finding out all they could about eachother, and wondering about each other, and revealing themselves to eachother as much as they cared to do, and flirting; oh, in a perfectlyrespectable sort of a way, you know; legitimate and commendableflirting; the sort of flirting which is only experimental andnecessary, and which may cease at any moment to become mere airytrifling, and turn into something intensely and desperately serious, having a vital bearing upon the entire future lives of people; andthere were deeply solemn moments, in spite of all the surface hilarityand gaiety, in many of these little out of way nooks kindly provided bybeneficent nature for this identical purpose. 

In one of these nooks, a curious sort of doll's amphitheatre, partlyscreened by dwarf cedars, were Miss Westlake and Mr. Turner, and Samcould not tell you to this day how she had roped him out of the herd, and isolated him, and brought him there. 

"Business is just perfectly fascinating, " she was saying. "I've beentalking a lot to papa about it here lately. He thinks a great deal ofyou, by the way. "

"He does, " Sam grunted in non-committal acknowledgment, with the sharpreflection that he had better look out for himself if that were thecase, since the most of Westlake's old friends were bankrupt, he beingthe best business man of them all. 

"Yes; he says you have an excellent business proposition, too, in yournew Marsh Pulp Company. " She said marsh pulp without an instant'shesitation. 

"I think it's good myself, " agreed Sam; "that is, if I can keep hold ofit. " Inwardly he added, "And if I can keep old Westlake's clutchesoff. "

She laughed lightly. 

"Papa mentioned that very thing, " she informed him. "I don't think Iquite understand what control of stock means, although I've had papaexplain it to me. I gather this much, however, that it is somethingyou want very much, but can scarcely get without some large stockholdervoting his stock with you. "

Sam inspected her narrowly. 

"You seem to have a pretty good idea of the thing after all, " headmitted, wondering how much she really knew and understood. "Butmaybe your father wouldn't like your repeating to me what youaccidentally learned from him in conversation. Business men areusually pretty particular about that. "

"Oh, he wouldn't mind at all, " she said airily. "I'm having himexplain a lot of things to me, because he's making separate investmentsfor Billy and me. All his new enterprises are for us, and in the lasttwo or three years he's turned over lots of stock to us in our ownnames. But I've never done any actual voting on it. I've only givenproxies. I sign a little blank, you know, that papa fills out for meand shows me where to put my name and mails to somebody or other, orelse takes it and votes it himself; but I'd rather vote it my own self. I should think it would be ever so much fun. I'm trying to find outabout how they do such things, and I'd be very glad to have you tell meall you can about it. It's just perfectly fascinating. "

"Yes, it is, " Sam admitted. "So you think you may eventually own somestock in the Marsh Pulp Company?" and he became quite interested. 

"If papa takes any I'm quite sure I shall, " she returned; "and I thinkhe will, from what he said. He seems to be so enthusiastic about itthat I'm going to ask him for this stock, and let Billy have the nextthat he buys. I hope he does take a good lot of it. Isn't this thedearest place imaginable?" and with charming naïveté she looked aboutthe tiny amphitheatre-like circle, admiring the projecting stones whichformed natural seats, and the broad shelving of slippery rock which ledup to it. 

"Yes, it is, " said Sam with considerable thoughtfulness, and once moreinspected Miss Westlake critically. 

There was no question that she would be as stout as her mother and herfather when she reached their age. However, personal attractiveness isan essence and can not be weighed by the pound. Sam was bound toadmit, after thoughtful judgment, that Miss Westlake might bepersonally attractive to a great many people, but really there hadn'tseemed to be anything flowing from him to her or from her to him, evenwhen he had held tightly to her hand to help her up the steep slope ofthe rock floor. 

"Yes, it is a charming place, " he once more admitted. "Looks almost asif this little semi-circle had been built out of these loose rocks bydesign. Of course, your father wouldn't take the original stock inyour name. "

"Oh, no, I don't suppose so, " she said. "He never does. He takes outthe stock himself, and then transfers it to us. "

"Of course, " Sam agreed; "and naturally he'd hold it long enough tovote at the original stock-holders' meeting. "

"I couldn't say about that, " she laughed. "That's going beyond mybusiness depth just yet, but I'm going to learn all about such things, "and she looked across at him with apparent shy confidence that he wouldtake pleasure in teaching her. 

"Hoo-hoo-oo-oo-oo-oo!" came a sudden call from down in the road, and, turning, they saw Miss Hastings and Billy Westlake, who both wavedtheir hands at the amphitheatre couple and came scrambling up the rocks. 

"Mr. Princeman and Mr. Tilloughby are looking for you everywhere, Hallie, " said Miss Hastings to Miss Westlake. "You know you promisedto make that famous salad dressing of yours. Luncheon is nearly ready, all but that, and they're waiting for you over at the glade. My, whata dear little place this is! How did you ever find it?" Miss Hastingswas now quite conspicuously panting and fanning herself. "I'm so tiredclimbing those rocks, " she went on. "I shall simply have to sit downand rest a bit. Billy will take you over, Hallie, and Mr. Turner willbring me by and by, I am sure. "

Mr. Turner stated that he would do so with pleasure. Miss Westlakesurveyed her dearest friend more in anger than in sorrow. It was sucha brazen trick, and she gazed from her brother to Mr. Turner in sheerwonder that they were not startled into betrayal of how shocked theywere. Whatever strong emotions they might have had upon that subjectwere utterly without reflection upon the outside, however, for BillyWestlake and Sam Turner were eying each other solely with a vacuousmutual wish of saying something decently polite and human. Mr. Turnermade a desperate stab. 

"I hope you're in good form for the bowling tournament to-night, " heobserved with self-urged anxiety. "Hollis Creek mustn't win, you know. "

"I'm as near fit as usual, " said Billy; "but Princeman is the chapwho's going to carry off the honors for Meadow Brook. Bowled anaverage last night of two forty-five. I'm sorry you couldn't make theteam. "

"I should have started fifteen years ago to do that, " said Sam with awry smile. "I think I would get along all right, though, if theydidn't have those grooves at the side of the alleys. "

Billy Westlake looked at him gravely. Since Sam did not smile, thiscould not be a joke. 

"But they are absolutely necessary, you know, " he protested, as he tookhis sister's arm and helped her down the slope. 

Miss Westlake went away entirely out of patience with the two men, andvery much to Billy's surprise gave him her revised estimate of thatHastings girl. Miss Hastings, however, was in a far different frame ofmind. She was an exclamation point of admiration about an endlessvariety of things; about the dear little amphitheatre, about how wellher friend Miss Westlake was looking and how successful Hallie had beenthis summer in reducing, and how much Mr. Turner was improving in histennis and croquet and riding and bowling and everything. "And, Mr. Turner, what is pulp? And do they actually make paper out of it?" shewound up. 

Very gravely Mr. Turner informed her on the process of paper making, and she was a chorus of little vivacious ohs and ahs all the waythrough. She sat on the side of the stone circle from which she couldlook down the road, and she chattered on and on and on, and still on, until something she saw below warned her that she was staying anunconscionable length of time, so she rose and told Mr. Turner theymust really go, and held out her hand to be helped down the slope. That was really a very slippery rock, and it was probably no fault ofMiss Hastings that her feet slipped and that she had to throw herselfsquarely into Mr. Turner's embrace, and even throw her arm up over hisshoulder to save herself. It was a staggery place, even for a sturdilymuscled young man like Mr. Turner to keep his footing, and with thatfair burden upon him he had to stand some little time poised there toretain his balance. Then, very gently and carefully, he turnedstraight about, lifting Miss Hastings entirely from her feet andsetting her gravely down on the safe ledge below the sloping rock; butbefore he had even had time to let go of her he glanced down into theroad, toward which the turn had faced him, and saw there, looking upaghast at the tableau, Mr. Princeman and Miss Stevens!

The sharp and instantly suppressed laugh of Princeman came floating upto them, but Miss Stevens turned squarely about in the direction of theglade, and being instantly joined by Princeman, they walked quietlyaway. 

Mr. Turner suddenly found himself perspiring profusely, and wascompelled to mop his brow, but Miss Hastings disdained to give any signthat anything unusual whatsoever had happened, except by walking with alimp, albeit a very slight one, as she returned to the glade. Thatlimp comforted Mr. Turner somewhat, and, spying Miss Stevens in alittle group near the tables, he was very careful to parade MissHastings straight over there and place her limp on display. MissStevens, however, walked away; no mere limp could deceive her!

Well, if she wanted to be miffed at a little accident like that, andread things falsely, and think the worst of people, she might; that wasall Sam had to say about it! but what he had to say about it did notcomfort him. He rather savagely "shook" Miss Hastings at his firstopportunity, and Vivian's dearest friend, who had been hovering in theoffing, saw him do it, which was a great satisfaction to her. Latershe seized upon him, although he had savagely sworn to stick to themen, and by some incomprehensible process Sam found himself once moretête-à-tête with Miss Westlake, just over at the edge of the gladewhere the sumac grew. She made him gather a lot of the leaves for her, and showed him how they used to weave clover wreaths when she was alittle girl, and wove one for him of sumac, and gaily crowned him withit; and just as she was putting the fool thing on his head he glancedup, and there Princeman, laughing, was just passing them a little waysoff, in company with Miss Josephine Stevens!

CHAPTER X

THE VALUE OF A PIANOLA TRAINING

On that very same evening Hollis Creek came over to the bowlingtournament, and Miss Stevens, arriving with young Hollis, promptly lostthat perfervid young man, who had become somewhat of a nuisance in hissentimental insistence. Mr. Turner, watching her from afar, saw herdesert the calfly smitten one, and immediately dashed for the breach. He had watched from too great a distance, however, for Billy Westlakegobbled up Miss Josephine before Sam could get there, and started withher for that inevitable stroll among the brookside paths which alwayspreceded a bowling tournament. While he stood nonplussed, lookingafter them, Miss Hastings glided to his side in a matter of course way. 

"Isn't it a perfectly charming evening?" she wanted to know. 

"It is a regular dear of an evening, " admitted Sam savagely. 

In his single thoughtedness he was scrambling wildly about within theinterior of his skull for a pretext to get rid of Miss Hastings, but itsuddenly occurred to him that now he had a legitimate excuse forfollowing the receding couple, and promptly upon the birth of thisidea, he pulled in that direction and Miss Hastings came right along, though a trifle silently. With all her vivacious chattering, she wasnot without shrewdness, and with no trouble whatever she divinedprecisely why Sam chose the path he did, and why he seemed in suchalmost blundering haste. They _were_ a little late, it was true, forjust as they started, Billy and Miss Stevens turned aside and out ofsight into the shadiest and narrowest and most involved of theshrubbery-lined paths, the one which circled about the little concealedsummer-house with a dove-cote on top, which was commonly dubbed "thecooing place. " Following down this path the rear couple suddenly cameupon a tableau which made them pause abruptly. Billy Westlake, uponthe steps of the summer-house, was upon his knees, there in the swiftlyblackening dusk, before the appalled Miss Stevens; actually upon hisknees! Silently the two watchers stole away, but when they were out ofearshot Miss Hastings tittered. Sam, though the moment was a seriousone for him, was also compelled to grin. 

"I didn't know they did it that way any more, " he confessed. 

"They don't, " Miss Hastings informed him; "that is, unless they arevery, very young, or very, very old. "

"Apparently you've had experience, " observed Sam. 

"Yes, " she admitted a little bitterly. "I think I've had rather morethan my share; but all with ineligibles. "

Sam felt a trace of pity for Miss Hastings, who was of polite family, but poor, and a guest of the Westlakes, but he scarcely knew how toexpress it, and felt that it was not quite safe anyhow, so he remaineddiscreetly silent. 

By mutual, though unspoken impulse, they stopped under the shade of abig tree up on the lawn, and waited for the couple who had been foundin the delicate situation either to reappear on the way back to thehouse, or to emerge at the other end of the path on the way to thebowling shed. It was scarcely three minutes when they reappeared onthe way back to the house, and both watchers felt an instant thrill ofrelief, for the two were by no means lover-like in their attitudes. Billy had hold of Miss Josephine's arm and was helping her up theslope, but their shoulders were not touching in the process, nor werearms clasped closely against sides. They passed by the big treeunseeing, then, as they neared the house, without a word, they parted. Miss Stevens proceeded toward the porch, and stopped to take ahandkerchief from her sleeve and pass it carefully and lightly over herface. Billy Westlake strode off a little way toward the bowling shed, stopped and lit a cigarette, took two or three puffs, started on, stopped again, then threw the cigarette to the ground with quiteunnecessary vigor, and stamped on it. Miss Hastings, without adieus ofany sort, glided swiftly away in the direction of Billy, and then a dimglimmer of understanding came to Sam Turner that only Miss Stevens hadstood in the way of Miss Hastings' capture of Billy Westlake. Hewasted no time over this thought, however, but strode very swiftly anddeterminedly up to Miss Josephine. 

"I'm glad to find you alone, " he said; "I want to make an explanation. "

"Don't bother about it, " she told him frigidly. "You owe me noexplanations whatsoever, Mr. Turner. "

"I'm going to make them anyhow, " he declared. "You saw me twice thisafternoon in utterly asinine situations. "

"I remember of no such situations, " she stated still frigidly, andstarted to move on toward the house. 

"But wait a minute, " said Sam, catching her by the arm and detainingher. "You did see me in silly situations, and I want you to know thefacts about them. "

"I'm not at all interested, " she informed him, now with absolute northpole iciness, and started to move away again. 

He held her more tightly. 

"The first time, " he went on, "was when Miss Hastings slipped on therocks and I had to catch her to keep her from falling. "

"Will you kindly let me go, Mr. Turner?" demanded Miss Josephine. 

"No, I will not!" he replied, and pulled her about a trifle so that shewas compelled to face him. "I don't choose to have anybody, least ofall you, think wrongly of me. "

"Mr. Turner, I do not choose to be detained against my will, " declaredMiss Josephine. 

"Mr. Turner, " boomed a deep-timbered voice right behind them, "the ladyhas requested you to let her go. I should advise you to do so. "

Mr. Turner was attempting to frame up a reasonable answer to thisdemand when Miss Josephine prevented him from doing so. 

"Mr. Princeman, " said she to the interrupting gallant, "I thank you foryour interference on my behalf, but I am quite capable of protectingmyself, " and leaving the two stunned gentlemen together, she once moretook her handkerchief from her sleeve and walked swiftly up to theporch, brushing the handkerchief lightly over her face again. 

"Well, I'll be damned!" said Princeman, looking after her in more orless bewilderment. 

"So will I, " said Sam. "Have you a cigarette about you?"

Princeman gave him one and they took a light from the same match, then, neither one of them caring to discuss any subject whatever at thatparticular moment, they separated, and Sam hunted a lonely corner. Hewanted to be alone and gloom. Confound bowling, anyhow! It was a dulland uninteresting game. He cared less for it as time went on, hefound; less to-night than ever. He crept away into the dim anddeserted parlor and sat down at the piano, the only friend in which hecared to confide just then. He played, with a queer lingering touchwhich had something of hesitation in it, and which reduced all music toa succession of soft chords, _The Maid of Dundee_ and _Annie Laurie_, _The Banks of Banna_ and _The Last Rose of Summer_, then one of thesimpler nocturnes of Chopin, and, following these, a quaint, slowmelody which was like all of the others and yet like none. 

"Bravo!" exclaimed a gentle voice in the doorway, and he turned, startled, to see Miss Stevens standing there. She did not explain whyshe had relented, but came directly into the room and stood at the endof the piano. He reached up and shook hands with her quite naturally, and just as naturally and simply she let her hand lie in his for aninstant. How soft and warm her palm was, and how grateful the touch ofit!

"What a pleasant surprise!" she said. "I didn't know you played. "

"I don't, " he confessed, smiling. "If you had stopped to listen youwould have known. You ought to hear my kid brother play though. He'sa corker. "

"But I did listen, " she insisted, ignoring the reference to his "kidbrother. " "I stood there a long time and I thought it beautiful. Whatwas that last selection?"

He flushed guiltily. 

"It was--oh, just a little thing I sort of put together myself, " hetold her. 

"How delightful! And so you compose, too?"

"Not at all, " he hastily assured her. "This is the only thing, and itseemed to come just sort of naturally to me from time to time. I don'tsuppose it's finished yet, because I never play it exactly as I didbefore. I always seem to add a little bit to it. I do wish that I hadhad time to know more of music. What little I play I learned from apianola. "

"A what?" she gasped. 

He laughed in a half-embarrassed way. 

"A pianola, " he repeated. "You see I've always been hungry for music, and while my kid brother was still in college I began to be able toafford things, and one of the first luxuries was a pianola. You knowthe machine has a little lever which throws the keys in or out ofengagement, so that you can play it as a regular piano if you wish, andif you leave the keys engaged while you are playing the rolls, theywork up and down; so by watching these I gradually learned to pick outmy favorite tunes by hand. I couldn't play them so well by myself asthe rolls played them, but somehow or other they gave me moresatisfaction. "

Miss Stevens did not laugh. In some indefinable way all this made adifference in Sam Turner--a considerable difference--and she felt quitejustified in having deliberately come to the conclusion that she hadbeen "mean" to him; in having deliberately slipped away from the othersas they were all going over to the bowling alleys; in having come backdeliberately to find him. 

"Your favorite tunes, " she repeated musingly. "What was the first one, I wonder? One of those that you have just been playing?"

"The first one?" he returned with a smile. "No, it was a sort ofrag-time jingle. I thought it very pretty then, but I played it overthe other day, the first time in years, and I didn't seem to like it atall. In fact, I wonder how I ever did like it. "

Rag-time! And now, left entirely to his own devices and for his ownpleasure, he was playing Chopin! Yes, it made quite a difference inSam Turner. She was glad that she had decided to wear his roses, gladeven that he recognized them. At her solicitation Sam played again theplaintive little air of his own composition--and played it much betterthan ever he had played it before. Then they walked out on the porchand strolled down toward the bowling shed. Half way there was a littleside path, leading off through an arbor into a shady way which crossedthe brook on a little rustic bridge, which wound about betweenflowerbeds and shrubbery and back by another little bridge, and whichlengthened the way to the bowling shed by about four times the normaldistance--and they took that path; and when they reached the bowlingalley they were not quite ready to go in. 

[Illustration: Sam played again the plaintive little air]

There seemed no reasonable excuse for staying out longer, however, forthe bowling had already started, and, moreover, young Tilloughbyhappened to come to the door and spied them. Princeman was justgetting up to bowl for the honor and glory of Meadow Brook, and withinone minute later Miss Stevens was watching the handsome young papermanufacturer with absorbed interest. He was a fine picture of athleticmanhood as he stood up, weighing the ball, and a splendid picture ofmasculine action as he rushed forward to deliver it. Sam had toacknowledge that himself, and out of fairness he even had to join inthe mad applause when Princeman made strike after strike. They hadPrinceman up again in the last frame, and it was a ticklish moment. The Hollis Creek team was fifty points ahead. Dramatic unities, underthe circumstances, demanded that Princeman, by a tremendous exercise ofcoolness and skill, overcome that lead by his own personal efforts, andhe did, winning the tournament for Meadow Brook with a breathless fewpoints to spare. 

But did Sam Turner care that Princeman was the hero of the hour? Morepower to Princeman, for from the bevy of flushed and eager girls whoflocked about the Adonis-like victor, Miss Josephine Stevens wasabsent. She was there, with him, in Paradise! Incidentally Sam madean engagement to drive with her in the morning, and when, at the closeof that delightful evening, the carryall carried her away, she beamedupon him; gave him two or three beams in fact, and said good-bypersonally and waved her hand to him personally; nobody else was therein all that crowd but just they two!

CHAPTER XI

THE WESTLAKES DECIDE TO INVEST

Miss Hastings did not exactly snub Sam in the morning, but she wassurprisingly indifferent to him after all her previous cordiality, andeven went so far as to forget the early morning constitutional she wasto have taken with him; instead she passed him coolly by on the porchright after an extremely early breakfast, and sauntered away downlovers' lane, arm in arm with Billy Westlake, who was already lookingvery much comforted. Sam, who had been dreading that walk, released itwith a sigh of intense satisfaction, planning that in the interim untiltime for his drive, he would improve his tennis a bit with MissWestlake. He was just hunting her up when he met Bob Tilloughby, whoinvited him to join a riding party from both houses for a trip over toSunset Rock. 

"Sorry, " said Sam with secret satisfaction, "but I've an engagementover at Hollis Creek at ten o'clock, " and Tilloughby carried thatinformation back to Miss Westlake, who had sent him. 

An engagement at Hollis Creek at ten o'clock, eh? Well, Miss Westlakeknew who that meant; none other than her dear friend, JosephineStevens! Being a young lady of considerable directness, she wentimmediately to her father. 

"Have you definitely made up your mind, pop, to take stock in Mr. Turner's company?" she asked, sitting down by that placid gentleman. 

Without removing his interlocked hands from their comfortableresting-place in plain sight, he slowly twirled his thumbs some threetimes, and then stopped. 

"Yes, I think I shall, " he said. 

"About how much?" Miss Westlake wanted to know. 

"Oh, about twenty-five thousand. "

"Who's to get it?"

"Why, I thought I'd divide it between Billy and you. "

Miss Westlake put her hand on her father's arm. 

"Say, pop, give it to me, please, " she pleaded. "Billy can take thenext stock you buy, or I'll let him have some of my other in exchange. "

Mr. Westlake surveyed his daughter out of a pair of fish-gray eyeswithout turning his head. 

"You seem to be especially interested in this stock. You asked aboutit yesterday and Sunday and one day last week. "

"Yes, I am, " she admitted. "It's a really first-class businessinvestment, isn't it?"

"Yes, I think it is, " replied Westlake; "as good as any stock in anuntried company can be, anyhow. At least it's an excellent investmentchance. "

"That's what I thought, " she said. "I'm judging, of course, only bywhat you say, and by my impression of Mr. Turner. It seems to me thatalmost anything he goes into should be highly successful. "

Mr. Westlake slowly whirled his thumbs in the other direction, threeseparate twirls, and stopped them. 

"Yes, " he agreed. "I'm investing the money in just Sam myself, although the scheme itself looks like a splendid one. "

Miss Westlake was silent a moment while she twisted at the button onher father's coat sleeve. 

"I don't quite understand this matter of stock control, " she went onpresently. "You've explained it to me, but I don't seem quite to getthe meaning of it. "

"Well, it's like this, " explained Mr. Westlake. "Sam Turner, with onlya paltry investment, say about five thousand dollars, wants to be ableto dictate the entire policy of a million-dollar concern. In otherwords, he wants a majority of stock, which will let him come into thestock-holders' meetings, and vote into office his own board ofdirectors, who will do just what he says; and if he wanted to he mighthave them vote the entire profits of the concern for his salary. "

"But, father, he wouldn't do anything like that, " she protested, shocked. 

"No, he probably wouldn't, " admitted Mr. Westlake, "but I wouldn't bewise to let him have the chance, just the same. "

"But, father, " objected Miss Hallie, after further thought, "it's hisinvention, you know, and his process, and if he doesn't have controlcouldn't all you other stock-holders get together and appropriate theprofits yourselves?"

Mr. Westlake gave his thumbs one quick turn. 

"Yes, " he grudgingly confessed. "In fact, it's been done, " and therewas a certain grim satisfaction at the corners of his mouth which hisdaughter could not interpret, as he thought back over the long list ofabsorptions which had made old Bill Westlake the power that he was. 

"But--but, father, " and she hesitated a long time. 

"Yes, " he encouraged her. 

"Even if you won't let him have enough stock to obtain control, if someone other person should own enough of the stock, couldn't they puttheir stock with his and let him do just about as he liked?"

"Oh, yes, " agreed Mr. Westlake without any twirling of his thumbs atall; "that's been done, too. "

"Would this twenty-five thousand dollars' worth of stock that you'rebuying, pop, if it were added to what you men are willing to let Mr. Turner have, give him control?"

Again Mr. Westlake turned his speculative gray eyes upon his daughterand gave her a long, careful scrutiny, which she received with downcastlashes. 

"No, " he replied. 

"How much would?"

"Well, fifty thousand would do it. "

"Say, pop--"

"Yes. "

Another long interval. 

"I wish you'd buy fifty thousand for me in place of twenty-five. "

"Humph, " grunted Mr. Westlake, and after one sharp glance at her helooked down at his big fat thumbs and twirled them for a long, longtime. "Well, " said he, "Sam Turner is a fine young man. I've knownhim in a business way for five or six years, and I never saw a flaw inhim of any sort. All right. You give Billy your sugar stock and I'llbuy you this fifty thousand. "

Miss Westlake reached over and kissed her father impulsively. 

"Thanks, pop, " she said. "Now there's another thing I want you to do. "

"What, more?" he demanded. 

"Yes, more, " and this time the color deepened in her cheeks. "I wantyou to hunt up Mr. Turner and tell him that you're going to take thatmuch. "

Mr. Westlake with a smile reached up and pinched his daughter's cheek. 

"Very well, Hallie, I'll do it, " said he. 

She patted him affectionately on the bald spot. 

"Good for you, " she said. "Be sure you see him this morning, though, and before half-past nine. "

"You're particular about that, eh?"

"Yes, it's rather important, " she admitted, and blushed furiously. 

Westlake patted his daughter on the shoulder. 

"Hallie, " said He, "if Billy only had your common-sense businessinstinct, I wouldn't ask for anything else in this world; but Billy isa saphead. "

Mr. Westlake, thinking that he understood the matter very thoroughly, though in reality overunderstanding it--nice word, that--took it uponhimself with considerable seriousness to hunt up Sam Turner; but it wasfully nine-thirty before he found that energetic young man. Sam wasjust going down the driveway in a neat little trap behind a team ofspirited grays. 

"Wait a minute, Sam, wait a minute, " hailed Westlake, puffinglaboriously across the closely cropped lawn. 

Sam held up his horses abruptly, and they stood swinging their headsand champing at their bits, while Sam, with a trace of a frown, lookedat his watch. 

"What's your rush?" asked Westlake. "I've been hunting for youeverywhere. I want to talk about some important features of that MarshPulp Company of yours. "

"All right, " said Sam. "I'm open for conversation. I'll see you rightafter lunch. "

"No. I must see you now, " insisted Westlake. "I've--I've got todecide on some things right this morning. I--I've got to know how toportion out my investments. "

Sam looked at his watch and was genuinely distressed. 

"I'm sorry, " said he, "but I have an engagement over at Hollis Creek atexactly ten o'clock, and I've scant time to make it. "

"Business?" demanded Westlake. 

"No, " confessed Sam slowly. 

"Oh, social then. Well, social engagements in America always playsecond fiddle to business ones, and don't you forget it. I'll talkabout this matter this morning or I won't talk about it at all. "

Sam stopped nonplussed. Westlake was an important factor in theprospective Marsh Pulp Company. 

"Tell you what you do, " said he, after some quick thought. "Why can'tyou get in the trap and drive over to Hollis Creek with me? We cantalk on the way and you can visit with your friends over there untiltime for luncheon; then I'll bring you back and we can talk on the wayhome, too. "

Miss Hallie and Princeman and young Tilloughby came cantering down thedrive and waved hands at the two men. 

"All right, " said Westlake decisively, looking after his daughter andanswering her glance with a nod. "Wait until I get my hat, " and hewheeled abruptly away. 

Sam fumed and fretted and jerked his watch back and forth from hispocket, while Westlake wasted fifteen precious minutes in waddling upto the house and hunting for his hat and returning with it, and twominutes more in bungling his awkward way into the buggy; then Samstarted the grays at such a terrific pace that, until they came to thesteep hill midway of the course, there was no chance for conversation. While the horses pulled up this steep hill, however, Westlake had hisopportunity. 

"I suppose you know, " he said, "that you're not going to be allowedover two thousand shares of common stock for your patents. "

"I'm beginning to give up the hope of having more, " admitted Sam. "However, I'm going to stick it out to the last ditch. "

"It won't be permitted, so you might as well give up that idea. Howmuch stock do you think of buying?"

"About five thousand dollars' worth of the preferred, " said Sam. 

"Which will give you fifty bonus shares of the common. I suppose ofcourse you figure on eventually securing control in some way or other. "

"Not being an infant, I do, " returned Sam, flicking his whip at a weedand gathering his lines up quickly as the mettled horses jumped. 

"I don't know of any one person who's going to buy enough stock to helpyou out in that plan; unless I should do it myself, " suggestedWestlake, and waited. 

Sam surveyed the other man long and silently. Westlake, as the largestminority shareholder, had done some very strange things to corporationsin his time. 

"Neither do I, " said Sam non-committally. 

There was another long silence. 

"If you carry through this Marsh Pulp Company to a successfultermination, you will be fairly well fixed for a young man, won't you?"the older man ventured by and by. 

"Well, " hesitated Sam, "I'll have a start anyhow. "

"I should say you would, " Westlake assured him, placing his hands inhis favorite position for contemplative discussion. "You'll have agood enough start to enable you to settle down. "

"Yes, " admitted Sam. 

"What you need, my boy, is a wife, " went on Mr. Westlake. "No man'sbusiness career is properly assured until he has a wife to steady himdown. "

"I believe that, " agreed Sam. "I've come to the same conclusionmyself, and to tell you the truth of the matter I've been contemplatingmarriage very seriously since I've been down here. "

"Good!" approved Westlake. "You're a fine boy, Sam. I may tell youright now that I approve of both you and your decision very heartily. I rather thought there was something in the wind that way. "

"Yes, " confessed Sam hesitantly. "I don't mind admitting that I haveeven gone so far as to pick out the girl, if she'll have me. "

Mr. Westlake smiled. 

"I don't think there will be any trouble on that score, " said he. "Ofcourse, Sam, I'm not going to force your confidence, or anything ofthat sort, but--but I want to tell you that I think you're all right, "and he very solemnly shook hands with Mr. Turner. 

They had just reached the top of the hill when Westlake again returnedto business. 

"I'm glad to know you're going to settle down, Sam, " he said. "Itinspires me with more confidence in your affairs, and I may say that Istand ready to subscribe, in my daughter's name, for fifty thousanddollars' worth of the stock of your company. "

"Well, " said Sam, giving the matter careful weight. "It will be a goodinvestment for her. "

Before Mr. Westlake had any time to reply to this, the grays, havingjust passed the summit of the hill, leaped forward in obedience toanother swish of Sam's whip. 

CHAPTER XII

ANOTHER MISSED APPOINTMENT

The trio from Meadow Brook, on their way to Sunset Rock galloped up tothe Hollis Creek porch, and, finding Miss Stevens there, gaily demandedthat she accompany them. 

"I'm sorry, " said Miss Stevens, who was already in driving costume, "but I have an engagement at ten o'clock, " and she looked back throughthe window into the office, where the clock then stood at two minutesof the appointed time; then she looked rather impatiently down thedriveway, as she had been doing for the past five minutes. 

"Well, at least you'll come back to the bar with us and have anice-cream cocktail, " insisted Princeman, reining up close to the porchand putting his hand upon the rail in front of her. 

"I don't see how I can refuse that, " said Miss Stevens with a smile andanother glance down at the driveway, "although it's really a littleearly in the day to begin drinking, " and she waited for them todismount, going back with them into the little ice-cream parlor and"soft drink" and confectionery dispensary which had been facetiouslydubbed "the bar. " Here she was careful to secure a seat where shecould look out of the window down toward the road, and also see theclock. 

After a weary while, during which Miss Josephine had undergone avariety of emotions which she was very careful not to mention, theparty rose from the discussion of their ice-cream soda and the bowlingtournament and all the various other social interests of the tworesorts, and made ready to depart, Miss Westlake twining her arm aboutthe waist of her friend Miss Stevens as they emerged on the porch. 

"Well, anyway, we've made you forget your engagement, " Miss Westlakegaily boasted, "for you said it was to be at ten, and now it'sten-thirty. "

"Yes, I noticed the time, " admitted Miss Stevens, rather grudgingly. 

"I'm sorry we dragged you away, " commiserated Miss Westlake with aswift change of tone. "Probably the party of the second part didn'tknow where to find you. "

"No, it couldn't be anything like that, " decided Miss Josephine after athoughtful pause. "Did you see anything of Mr. Turner this morning?"she asked with sudden resolve. 

"Mr. Turner, " repeated Miss Westlake in well-feigned surprise. "Why, yes, I know papa said early this morning that he was going to have abusiness talk with Mr. Turner, and as we left Meadow Brook papa wasjust going after his hat to take a drive with him. "

"I wonder if it would be an imposition to ask you to wait about fiveminutes longer, " inquired Miss Stevens with a languidness which did_not_ deceive. "I think I can change to my riding-habit almost withinthat time. "

"We'll be delighted to wait, " asserted Miss Westlake eagerly, herselflooking apprehensively down the driveway; "won't we, boys?"

"Sure; what is it?" returned Princeman. 

"Josephine says that if we'll wait five minutes longer she'll go withus. "

"We'll wait an hour if need be, " declared Princeman gallantly. 

"It won't need be, " said Miss Stevens lightly, and hurrying into theoffice she ordered the clerk to send for her saddle-horse. 

For ten interminable minutes Miss Westlake never took her eyes from theroad, at the end of which time Miss Stevens returned, hatted andhabited and booted and whipped. 

The Hollis Creek young lady was rather grim as she rode down thegraveled approach beside Miss Westlake, and both the girls cast furtiveglances behind them as they turned away from the Meadow Brook road. When they were safely out of sight around the next bend, Miss Westlakelaughed. 

"Mr. Turner is such a funny person, " said she. "He's liable at anymoment to forget all about everything and everybody if somebodymentions business to him. If he ever takes time to get married he'llmake it a luncheon hour appointment. "

Even Miss Josephine laughed. 

"And even then, " she added, by way of elaboration, "the bride is likelyto be left waiting at the church. " There was a certain snap andcrackle to whatever Miss Stevens said just now, however, whichindicated a perturbed and even an angry state of mind. 

Ten minutes later, Sam Turner, hatless, and carrying a buggy whip andwearing a torn coat, trudged up the Hollis Creek Inn drive, afoot, andwalked rapidly into the office. 

"Is Miss Stevens about?" he wanted to know. 

"Not at present, " the clerk informed him. "She ordered out her horse afew minutes ago, and started over to Sunset Rock with a party of youngpeople from Meadow Brook. "

"Which way is Sunset Rock?"

The clerk handed him a folder which contained a map of the roadwaysthereabouts, and pointed out the way. 

"Could you get me a saddle-horse right away?"

The clerk pounded a bell and ordered up a saddle-horse for Mr. Turner, who immediately thereupon turned to the telephone, and, calling upMeadow Brook, instructed the clerk at that resort to send a carriagefor Mr. Westlake, who was sitting in the trap, entirely unharmed butdisinclined to walk, at the foot of Laurel Hill; then he explained thatthe grays had run away down this steep declivity, that the yoke bar hadslipped, the tongue had fallen to the ground, had broken, and had runback up through the body of the carriage. The horses had jerked thedoubletree loose, and the last he had seen of their marks they hadturned up the Bald Hill road and were probably going yet. By the timehe had repeated and amplified this explanation enough to beat it allthrough the head of the man at the other end of the wire, his horse wasready for him, and very much to the wonderment of the clerk he startedoff at a rattling gait, without taking the trouble either to havehimself dusted or to pin up his badly torn pocket. 

He only lost his way once among the devious turns which led to SunsetRock, and arrived there just as the party, quite satisfied with theinspection of a view they had seen a score of times before, were readyto depart, his appearance upon the scene with the telltale pocket beinggreatly to the discomfiture of everybody concerned except Miss Stevens, who found herself unaccountably pleased that Sam's delay had been dueto an accident, and able to believe his briefly told explanation atonce. Miss Westlake was in despair. She had really hoped, andbelieved, that Sam had forgotten his engagement in business talk, andshe had felt quite triumphant about it. Tilloughby, satisfied to bewith Miss Westlake, and Princeman, more than content to ride by theside of Miss Stevens, were neither of them overjoyed at the appearanceof the fifth rider, who made fully as much a crowd as any "third party"has ever done; and he disarranged matters considerably, for, though atfirst lagging behind alone, a narrow place in the road shifted theparty so that when they emerged upon the other side of it Miss Westlakewas riding by the side of Sam, and Tilloughby was left to ride alone inthe center. Thereupon Miss Westlake's horse developed a suddeninclination to go very slowly. 

"Papa says I'm becoming a very keen business woman, " she remarked, byand by. 

"Well, you've the proper blood in you for it, " said Sam. 

"That doesn't seem to count, " she laughed; "look at Billy. But I thinkI did a remarkably clever stroke this morning. I induced papa to sayhe'd double his stock in your company and give it to me. He tells meI've enough to 'swing' control. Isn't that jolly?"

"It's hilariously jolly, " admitted Sam, but with an inward wince. Control and Westlake were two words which did not make, for him, acheerful juxtaposition. 

"So now you'll have to be very nice indeed to me, " went on MissWestlake banteringly, "or I'm likely to vote with the other crowd. "

"I'll be just as nice to you as I know how, " offered Sam. "Just statewhat you want me to do and I'll do it. "

Miss Westlake did not state what she wanted him to do. In place ofthat she whipped up her horse rather smartly, after a thoughtfulsilence, and joined Tilloughby, the three of them riding abreast. Thenext shifting, around a deep mud hole which only left room for anIndian file procession, brought Sam alongside Miss Josephine, and herehe stuck for the balance of the ride, leaving Princeman to ride part ofthe time alone between the two couples, and part of the time to be thethird rider with each couple in alternation. Miss Josephine was verymuch concerned about Mr. Turner's accident, very happy to know howlucky he had been to come off without a scratch, except for the tear inhis coat, and very solicitous indeed about any further handling of theobstreperous gray team; and, forgiving him readily under thecircumstances, she renewed her engagement to drive with him the nextmorning!

Sam rode on home at the side of Miss Westlake, after leaving MissStevens at Hollis Creek, in a strange and nebulous state of elation, which continued until bedtime. As he was about to retire he was handeda wire from his brother:

"Just received patent papers meet me at Restview morning train. "

CHAPTER XIII

A PLEASURE RIDE WITH MISS STEVENS

The morning train was due at ten o'clock. At ten o'clock also Sam wasdue at Hollis Creek to take his long deferred drive with Miss Stevens. It was a slight conflict, her engagement, but the solution to that wasvery easy. As early in the morning as he dared, Sam called up MissJosephine. 

"I've some glorious news, " he said hopefully. "My kid brother willarrive at Restview on the ten o'clock train. "

"You are to be congratulated, " Miss Stevens told him, with an echo ofhis own delight. 

"But you know we've an engagement to go driving at ten o'clock, " hereminded her, still hopefully, but trembling in spirit. 

There was an instant of hesitation, which ended in a laugh. 

"Don't let that interfere, " she said. "We can defer our drive untilsome other time, when fate is not so determined against it. "

"But that doesn't suit me at all, " he assured her. "Why can't you beready at nine in place of ten, let me call for you at that time anddrive over to Restview with me to meet Jack?"

"Is that his name?" she asked in blissfully reassuring tones. "You'venever spoken of him as anybody but your 'kid brother. ' Why of courseI'll drive over to Restview with you. I shall be delighted to meethim. "

Privately she had her own fears of what Jack Turner might turn out tobe like. Sam was always so good in speaking of him, always held him insuch tender regard, such profound admiration, that she feared he mightprove to be perfect only in Sam's eyes. 

"Good, " said Sam. "Just for that I'm going to bring you over somechoice blooms that I have been having the gardener save back for me, "and he turned away from the telephone quite happy in the thought thatfor once he had been able to kill two birds with one stone withoutruffling the feathers of either. 

Armed with a huge consignment of brilliant blossoms, enough totransform her room into a fairy bower, he sped quite happily to HollisCreek. 

"Oh, gladiolas!" cried Miss Josephine, as he drove up. "How did youever guess it! That little bird must have been busy again. "

"Honestly, it was the little bird this time. I just had an intuitionthat you must like them because I do so well, " upon which naïvestatement Miss Josephine merely smiled, and calling her father withpretty peremptoriness, she loaded that heavy gentleman down with theflowers and with instructions concerning them, and then steppedbrightly into the tonneau with Sam. 

It was a pleasant ride they had to Restview, and it was a pleasantsurprise which greeted Miss Josephine when the train arrived, for outof it stepped a youth who was unmistakably a Turner. He was as tall asSam, but slighter, and as clean a looking boy as one would find in aday's journey. There was that, too, in the hand-clasp between thebrothers which proclaimed at once their flawless relationship. 

Miss Stevens was so relieved to find the younger Turner so presentablethat she took him into her friendship at once. He was that kind ofchap anyhow, and in the very first greeting she almost found herselfcalling him Jack. Just behind him, however, was a little, dried-up manwith a complexion the color of old parchment, with sandy, stubby hairshot with gray, and a stubby gray beard shot with red. His lips were awide straight line, as grim as judgment day. He walked with a slightstoop, but with a quick staccato step which betokened great nervousenergy, a quality which the alert expression of his beady eyesconfirmed with distinct emphasis. 

"Hello, Creamer!" hailed Sam to this gentleman. "I didn't expect tosee you here quite so soon. "

"You had every right to expect me, " snapped the little man querulously. "After all the experimenting I have done for you boys, you had everyreason to keep me posted on all your movements; and yet I reckon if Ihadn't been in your office yesterday evening when Jack said he wascoming down here, you would not have notified me until you had yourcompany all formed. Then I suppose you'd have written to tell me howmuch stock you had assigned to me. I'm going to be in on the formationof this company, and I'm going to have my say about it!"

"Will you never get over that dyspepsia?" chided Sam easily. "Therewas no intention of leaving you out. "

"Just what I told him, " declared Jack, turning from Miss Stevens tothem. "I have been swearing to him that as soon as we had found outto-day what we were to do I would have wired him at once. "

"You were quite right, Jack, " approved Sam, opening the door of the carfor them, "and as a proof of it, Creamer, when you return to youroffice you will find there a letter postmarked yesterday, telling youour exact progress here, and warning you to be in readiness to come ontelegram. "

"All right, then, " said Mr. Creamer, somewhat mollified, "but sincethat letter's there and I'm here, you might as well tell me what you'vedone. "

Sam stopped the proceedings long enough to introduce Creamer to MissStevens after he had closed the door upon them and had taken his ownseat by the chauffeur. 

"All right, " he then said to Mr. Creamer, "I'll begin at the beginning. "

He began at the beginning. He told Mr. Creamer all the steps in thedevelopment of the company. He detailed to him the names of thegentlemen concerned, and their complete commercial histories, pausingto answer many pertinent side questions and observations from hisyounger brother, who proved to be as keen a student of business puzzlesas Sam himself. 

"That's all very well, " said Mr. Creamer, "and now I'm here. I want toget away to-night: Can't we form that company to-day? At what figuredo you propose offering the original stock?"

"The preferred at fifty, with a par value of a hundred, " returned Sampromptly. 

"Common?" asked Mr. Creamer crisply. 

"One share of common with each two shares of preferred. "

"Eh! Well, I've twenty-five thousand dollars to put into this marshpulp business, if I can have any figure in the management. I want onthe board. "

"It's quite likely you'll be on the board, " returned Sam. "We shallhave a very small list of subscribers, and the board will not beunwieldy if every investor is a director. "

"Voting power in the common stock?"

"In the common stock, " repeated Sam. 

"Do you intend to buy any preferred?" asked Creamer. 

"A hundred shares. "

"How much common do you expect to take out for your patents?"

"Two hundred and fifty thousand, " Sam answered without an instant'shesitation. 

"Never!" exclaimed Mr. Creamer. "The time for that's gone by, youngman, no matter how good your proposition is. It's too old a game. Youwon't handle my money with control in your hands. I have no objectionto letting you have two hundred thousand dollars worth of common stockout of the half million, because that will give you an incentive tomake the common worth par; but you shan't at any time have or be ableto acquire a share over two hundred and forty-nine thousand; not if Iknow anything about it! Can you call a meeting as soon as we getthere?"

"I think so, " replied Sam, with a more or less worried air. "I'll tryit. Tell you what I'll do. I'll run right on over to get Mr. Stevens, who wants to join the company, and in the meantime Mr. Westlake orPrinceman can round up the others. "

For the first time in that drive Miss Stevens had something to say, butshe said it with a briefness that was like a dash of cold water to thepreoccupied Sam. 

"Father is over there now, I think, " she said. 

"Good, " approved Mr. Creamer. "We can have a little direct businesstalk and wind up the whole affair before lunch. What time do we arriveat Meadow Brook?"

"Before eleven o'clock. "

"That will give us two hours. Two hours is enough to form any company, when everybody knows exactly what he wants to do. Got a lawyer overthere?"

"One of the best in the country. "

Miss Stevens sat in the center seat of the tonneau. Sam, in addressinghis remarks to the others and in listening to their replies, wascompelled to sweep his glance squarely across her, and occasionally inthese sweeps he paused to let his gaze rest upon her. She was a reliefto his eyes, a blessing to them! Miss Stevens, however, seldom met anyof these glances. Very much preoccupied she was, looking at thepassing scenery and not seeing it. 

There had begun boiling and seething in Miss Stevens a feeling that shewas decidedly _de trop_, that these men could talk their absorbingbusiness more freely if she were not there; not because she embarrassedthem, but because she used up space! Nobody seemed to give her athought. Nobody seemed to be aware that she was present. They werealmost gaspingly engrossed in something far more important to them thanshe was. It was uncomplimentary, to say the least. She was not usedto playing "second fiddle" in any company. She was in the habit ofabsorbing the most of the attention in her immediate vicinity. Mr. Princeman or Mr. Hollis would neither one ignore her in that way, tosay nothing of Billy Westlake. 

She was glad when they reached Meadow Brook. Their whole talk had beenof marsh pulp, and company organization, and preferred and commonstock, and who was to get it, and how much they were to pay for it, andhow they were going to cut the throats of the wood pulp manufacturers, and how much profit they were going to make from the consumers and withall that, not a word for her. Not a single word! Not even an apology!Oh, it was atrocious! As soon as they drew up to the porch she rose, and before Sam could jump down to open the door of the tonneau she hadopened it for herself and sprung out. 

"I'll hunt up father right away for you, " she stated courteously. "Glad to have met you, Mr. Creamer. I presume I shall meet you again, Mr. Turner, " she said to Jack. "Thank you so much for the ride, " shesaid to Sam, and then she was gone. 

Sam looked after her blankly. It couldn't be possible that she was"huffy" about this business talk. Why, couldn't the girl see that thishad to do with the birth of a great big company, a million dollarcorporation, and that it was of vital importance to him? It meant theapex of a lifetime of endeavor. It meant the upbuilding of a fortune. Couldn't she see that he and his brother were two lone youngstersagainst all these shrewd business men, whose only terms of aiding themand floating this big company was to take their mastery of it away fromthem? Couldn't she understand what control of a million dollarorganization meant? He was not angry with Miss Stevens for herapparent attitude in this matter, but he was hurt. He was notimpatient with her, but he was impatient of the fact that she could notappreciate. Now the fat was in the fire again. He felt that. Underother circumstances he would have said that it was much more troublethan it was worth to keep in the good graces of a girl, but under thepresent circumstances--well, his heart had sunk down about a foot outof place, and he had a sort of faint feeling in the region of hisstomach. He was just about sick. He followed her in, just in time tosee the flutter of her skirts at the top of the stairway, but he couldnot call without making himself and her ridiculous. Confound things ingeneral!

Mr. Stevens joined him while he was still looking into that blank holein the world. 

"Glad I happened to be here, Sam, " said Stevens. "Jo tells me thatyour brother and Mr. Creamer have arrived and that you want to formthat company right away. "

"Yes, " admitted Sam. "Was she sarcastic about it?"

Mr. Stevens closed his eyes and laughed. 

"Not exactly sarcastic, " he stated; "but she did allude to yourproposed corporation as 'that old company!'"

"I was afraid so, " said Sam ruefully. 

Stevens surveyed him in amusement for a moment, and then in pity. 

"Never mind, my boy, " he said kindly. "You'll get used to these thingsby and by. It took me the first five years of my married life toconvince Mrs. Stevens that business was not a rival to her affections, when, if I'd only have known the recipe, I could have convinced her atthe start. "

"How did you finally do it?" asked Sam, vitally interested. 

"Made her my confidante and adviser, " stated Stevens, smilingreminiscently. 

Sam shook his head. 

"Was that safe?" he asked. "Didn't she sometimes let out your secrets?"

"Bosh!" exclaimed Stevens. "I'd rather trust a woman than a man, anyday, with a secret, business or personal. That goes for any woman;mother, sister, sweetheart, wife, daughter, or stenographer. Just givethem a chance to get interested in your game, and they're with youagainst the world. "

"Thanks, " said Sam, putting that bit of information aside for futurepondering. "By the way, Mr. Stevens, before we join the others I'dlike to ask you how much stock you're going to carry in the Marsh PulpCompany. "

"Well, " returned Mr. Stevens slowly, "I did think that if the thinglooked good on final analysis, I might invest twenty-five thousanddollars. "

"Can't you stretch that to fifty?"

"Can't see it. But why? Don't you think you're going to fill yourlist?"

"We'll fill our list all right, " returned Sam. "As a matter of fact, that's what I'm afraid of. These fellows are going to pool theirstock, and hold control in their own hands. Now if I could get you toinvest fifty thousand and vote with me under proper emergency, I couldcontrol the thing; and I ought to. It is my own company. Seems to methese fellows are selfish about it. You think I'm a good business man, don't you?"

"I certainly do, " agreed Mr. Stevens emphatically. 

"Well, it stands to reason that if I have two hundred and sixtythousand dollars of common stock that isn't worth a picayune unless Imake it worth par, I'll hustle; and if I make my common stock worthpar, I'm making a fine, fat profit for these other fellows, to saynothing of the raising of their preferred stock from the value of fiftyto a hundred dollars a share, and their common from nothing to ahundred. "

"That's all right, Sam, " returned Mr. Stevens; "but you'll work just ashard to make your common worth par if you only have two hundredthousand; and there's a growing tendency on the part of capital to beable to keep a string on its own money. Strange, but true. "

"All right, " said Sam wearily. "We won't argue that point any morejust now; but will you invest fifty thousand?"

"I can't promise, " said Stevens, and he walked out on the porch. Muchworried, Sam followed him, and with many misgivings he introduced Mr. Stevens to his brother Jack and to Mr. Creamer. The prospectiveorganizers of the Marsh Pulp Company were already in solemn conclave onthe porch, with the single exception of Princeman, who was on the lawntalking most perfunctorily with Miss Josephine. That young lady, withwickedness of the deepest sort in her soul, was doing her best toentice Mr. Princeman into forgetting the important meeting, but as soonas Princeman saw the gathering hosts he gently but firmly tore himselfaway, very much to her surprise and indignation. Why, he had been asrude to her as Sam Turner himself, in placing the charms of businessabove her own! Immediately afterward she snubbed Billy Westlakeunmercifully. Had he the qualities which would go to make a successfulman in any walk of life? No!

CHAPTER XIV

A DUAL QUESTION OF MATRIMONIAL ELIGIBILITY AND STOCK SUBSCRIPTION

Mr. Westlake dropped back with his old friend Stevens as they trailedinto the parlor which Blackstone had secured. 

"Are you going to subscribe rather heavily in the company, Stevens?"inquired Westlake, with the curiosity of a man who likes to have hisown opinion corroborated by another man of good judgment. 

"Well, " replied the father of Miss Josephine, "I think of taking arather solid little block of stock. I believe I can spare twenty-fivethousand dollars to invest in almost any company Sam Turner wants tostart. "

"He's a fine boy, " agreed Westlake. "A square, straight young fellow, a good business man, and a hustler. I see him playing tennis with mygirl every day, and she seems to think a lot of him. "

"He's bound to make his mark, " Mr. Stevens acquiesced, sharplysuppressing a fool impulse to speak of his own daughter. "Do youfellows intend to let him secure control of this company?"

"I should say not!" replied Westlake, with such unnecessary emphasisthat Stevens looked at him with sudden suspicion. He knew enough aboutold Westlake to "copper" his especially emphatic statements. 

"Are you agreeable to Princeman's plan to pool all stock but Turner's?"

"Well--we can talk about that later. "

"Huh!" grunted Mr. Stevens, and together the two heavy-weights, Stevenswith his aggressive beard suddenly pointed a trifle more straight out, and Mr. Westlake with his placidity even more marked than usual, stalked on into the parlor, where Mr. Blackstone, taking the chair _protem_. , read them the preliminary agreement he had drawn up; upon whichSam Turner immediately started to wrangle, a proceeding which provedaltogether in vain. 

The best he could get for patents and promotion was two thousand out ofthe five thousand shares of common stock, and finally he gave in, knowing that he could not secure the right kind of men on better terms. Mr. Blackstone thereupon offered a subscription list, to which everyman present solemnly appended his name opposite the number of shares hewould take. Sam, at the last moment, put down his own name for a blockof stock which meant a cash investment of considerably more than he hadoriginally figured upon. He cast up the list hurriedly. Five hundredshares of preferred, carrying half that much common, were still to besubscribed. With whom could he combine to obtain control? The onlymen who had subscribed enough for that purpose were Princeman, who wasout of the question, and, in fact, would be the leader of theopposition, and Westlake. The highest of the others were Creamer, Cuthbert and Stevens. Sam would have to subscribe for the entire fivehundred in order to make these men available to him. 

McComas and Blackstone had only subscribed for the same amount as Sam. They could do him no good, and he knew it was hopeless to attempt toget two men to join with him. He looked over at Westlake. Thatgentleman was smiling like a placid cherub, all innocence without, andkindliness and good deeds; but there was nevertheless something fishyabout Westlake's eyes, and Sam, in memory, cast over a list of maimedand wounded and crushed who had come in Westlake's business way. Thelogical candidate was Stevens. Stevens simply had to take enough stockto overbalance this thing, then he simply must vote his stock withSam's! That was all there was to it! Sam did not pause to worry abouthow he was to gain over Stevens' consent, but he had an intuitivefeeling that this was his only chance. 

"Stevens, " said he briskly, "there are five hundred shares left. I'lltake half of it if you'll take the other half. "

His brother Jack looked at him startled. Their total holdings, in thatcase, would mean an investment of more money than they could spare fromtheir other operations. It would cramp them tremendously, but Jackventured no objections. He had seen Sam at the helm in decisive placestoo often to interfere with him, either by word or look. As a matterof fact such a proceeding was not safe anyhow. 

"I don't mind--" began Westlake, slowly fixing a beaming eye upon Sam, and crossing his hands ponderously upon his periphery; but before hecould announce his benevolent intention, Mr. Stevens, with what mightalmost have been considered a malevolent glance toward Mr. Westlake, spoke up. 

"I'll accept your proposition, " he said with a jerk of his beard as hisjaws snapped. So Miss Westlake thought a great deal of Sam, eh? Andold Westlake knew it, eh? And he had already subscribed enough stockto throw Sam control, eh?

"Thanks, " said Sam, and shot Mr. Stevens a look of gratitude as healtered the subscription figures. 

"Stop just a moment, Sam, " put in Mr. Westlake. "How many shares ofcommon stock does that give you in combination with your bonus?"

"Two thousand two hundred and sixty, " said Sam. 

"Oh!" said Mr. Westlake musingly; "not enough for control by twohundred and forty one shares; so you won't mind, since you haven'tenough for control anyhow, if I take up that additional two hundred andfifty shares of preferred, with its one hundred and twenty-five ofcommon, myself. "

Sam once more paused and glanced over the subscription list. As itstood now, aside from Princeman, there were two members, Westlake andStevens, with whom, if he could get either one of them to do so, hecould pool his common stock. If he allowed Westlake to take up thisadditional two hundred and fifty shares, Westlake was the only stringto his bow. 

"No, thanks, " said Sam. "I prefer to keep them myself. It seems to meto be a very fair and equitable division just as it is. "

In the end it stood just that way. 

CHAPTER XV

THE HERO OF THE HOUR

On that very same afternoon, the youth and beauty, also the age andwisdom, of both Hollis Creek and Meadow Brook, gathered around the ballfield of the former resort, to watch the Titanic struggle for victorybetween the two picked nines. As Sam took his place behind the bat forthe first man up, who was Hollis, he felt his first touch ofself-confidence anent the strictly amusement features of summerresorting. In all the other athletic pursuits he had been backward, but here, as he smacked his fist in his glove, he felt at home. 

The only thing he did not like about it, as Princeman wound himself upto deliver the first ball, was that Princeman had the position ofglory. On that gentleman the spotlight burned brightly all the time, and if they won, he would be the hero of the hour; the modest, reliablecatcher would scarcely be thought of except by the men who knew thefiner points of the game, and it was not the men whom he had in mind. Honestly and sincerely, he desired to shine before Miss JosephineStevens. She was over there at the edge of the field under an oak tree. 

Before her, cavorting for her amusement, were not only Princeman andhimself, but Billy Westlake and Hollis, each of them alert for actionat this moment; for now Princeman, with a mighty twirl upon his greattoe, released the ball. It never reached Sam Turner's hands; insteadit bounced off the bat with a "crack!" and sailed right down throughBilly Westlake, who, at second, made a frantic grab for it, and then itspun out between center and right field, losing itself in the bushes, while Hollis, amid the frantic cheers of the audience, which consistedof Miss Josephine Stevens and several unconsidered other spectators, tore around the circuit. His colleagues strove wildly to hold Hollisat third, for the ball was found and was sailing over to that base. Itarrived there just as he did, but far over the head of the thirdbaseman, and fat, curly-haired Hollis, who looked like an ice wagon butran like a motorcycle, secured the first run for Hollis Creek. 

The next batter was up. Princeman, his confidence loftily unshaken, gave a correct imitation of a pretzel and delivered the ball. Thebatsman swung viciously at it. 

Spat! It landed in Sam's glove. 

"Strike one!" called the strident voice of Blackrock, who, jerkinghimself back several years into youth again, was umpiring the game withgreat joy. Nonchalantly Sam snapped the ball back over-hand. Princeman smiled with calm superiority. He wound himself up. 

Spat! The ball had cut the plate and was in Sam's hands, while thebatsman stood looking earnestly at the path over which it had come. 

"Strike two!" called Blackstone. 

Sam jerked the ball back with an underwrist toss of great perfection. Princeman drew himself up with smiling ease and posed a moment for theedification of the on-lookers. Sam Turner was the very first to detectthe unbearable arrogance of that pose. Princeman eyed the batsmancritically, mercilessly even, and delivered the third fatalplate-splitter. 

Z-z-z-ing! The sphere slammed right out through Billy Westlake, whomade a frantic grab for it. It bounded down between center and rightfield, and the players bumped shoulders in trying to stop it. Itnestled among the bushes. The batsman tore around the bases. Hiscolleagues tried to hold him at third, for the ball was streaking inthat direction, but the batsman pawed straight on. The ball crossedthe base before he did, but it bounded between the third sacker's feet, and score two was marked up for Hollis Creek, with nobody out!

With undiminished confidence, though somewhat annoyed, Princeman made acute little knot of himself for the next batsman. 

Spat! The ball landed in Sam's glove, two feet wide of the plate. 

"Ball one!" called Blackstone. 

Spat! In Sam's glove again, with the batsman jumping back to save hisribs. 

"Ball two!" cried Blackstone. 

Spat!

"Ball three. "

"Put 'em over, Princeman!" yelled Billy Westlake from second. 

"Don't be afraid of him! He couldn't hit it with a pillow!" jeered thethird baseman. 

In a calm, superior sort of way, Mr. Princeman smiled and shot over theball. 

"Four balls. Take your base!" said Mr. Blackstone, quite gently. 

Reassuringly Mr. Princeman smiled upon his supporters, consisting ofMiss Josephine Stevens and some other summer resorters, and proceededto take out his revenge upon the next batter. The first two lofts weredeclared to be balls, and then Sam, catching his man playing too faroff, snapped the pill down to the nearest suburb and nailed the firstout. Encouraged by this, Princeman put over three successive strikes, and there were two gone. The next batter up, however, laced out, fortwo easy way-points, the first ball presented him. The next athletebrought him in with a single, and the next one put down a three-baggerwhich bored straight through Princeman and short stop and center field. That inglorious inning ended with a brilliant throw of Sam's to BillyWestlake at second, nipping a would-be thief who had hoped to purlointhe seventh tally for Hollis Creek. 

Billy Westlake, then taking the bat, increased the Meadow Brookdepression by slapping the soft summer air three vicious spanks andretiring to think it over, and young Tilloughby bounced a feeble littlebunt square at the feet of Hollis and was tossed out at first bysomething like six furlongs. The third batsman popped up a slow, lazyfoul which gave the catcher almost plenty of time to roll a cigarettebefore it came down, and the Meadow Brook side was ignominiouslyretired. Score, six to nothing at the end of the first. 

Princeman hit the first man up in the next inning and sent him down tothe initial bag, which was a flat stone, happily limping. He issuedfree transportation to the next man and let the cripple hobble on tosecond, chortling with glee. The third man went to the first stationon a measly little bunt with which Sam and Princeman and third base didsome neat and shifty foot work, and the next man up soaked out a WrightBrothers beauty among the trees over beyond left field, and cleared thebases amid the perfectly frantic rejoicing of the fickle Miss JosephineStevens and all the negligible balance of Hollis Creek. Oh, it wasdisgraceful! Sam Turner ground his teeth in impotent rage. He walkedup to Princeman. 

"Say, old man, " he pleaded. "We've just _got_ to settle down! We_must_ pull this game out of the fire! We _can't_ let Hollis Creekwalk away with it!"

Princeman was pale, but clutched at his fast-slipping-away nonchalancewith the grip of desperation. 

"We'll hold them, " he declared, and with careful deliberation he putover a ball which the next batter sent sailing right down inside theright foul line, pulling the first baseman away back almost to rightfield. Princeman stood gaping at that bingle in paralyzed dismay; butthe batsman, who was a slow runner and slow thinker, stood a fatalsecond to see whether the ball was fair or foul. Almost at the crackof the bat Sam Turner started, raced down to first, caught the rightfielder's throw and stepped on the stone, one handsome stride ahead ofthe runner! Then, as Blackrock, speechless with admiration, waved therunner out, the first mighty howl went up from Meadow Brook, and onepartisan of the Hollis Creek nine, turning her back for the momentsquarely upon her own colors, led the cheering. Sam heard her voice. It was a solo, while all the rest of the cheering was a faintaccompaniment, and with such elation as comes only to the heroes invictorious battle, he trotted back to his place and caught three ballsand three strikes on the next batter. Also, the next one went out on apop fly which Sam was able to catch. 

In their half Princeman redeemed himself in part by a three baggerwhich brought in two scores, and the second inning ended at ten tothree in favor of Hollis Creek. 

Confident and smiling, reinforced by the memory of his three bagger, Princeman took the mount for the beginning of the third, and with hiscompliments he suavely and politely presented a base to the first manup. A groan arose from all Meadow Brook. The second batsman shot astinger to Princeman, who dropped it, and that batsman immediatelythereafter roosted on first, crowing triumphantly; but the hot linerallowed Princeman a graceful opportunity. He complained of a badlyhurt finger on his pitching hand. He called time while he held thatinjured member, and expressed in violent gestures the intolerable agonyof it. Bravely, however, he insisted upon "sticking it out, " andpassed two wild ones up to the next willow wielder; then, having provedhis gameness, he nobly sacrificed himself for the good of Meadow Brook, called time and asked for a substitute pitcher. He would go anywhere. He would take the field or he would retire. What he wanted was MeadowBrook to win. This was precisely what Sam Turner also wanted, and helost no time in calling, with ill-concealed satisfaction, upon hisbrother Jack. Then Jack Turner, nothing loath, deserted hiscomfortable seat by the side of Miss Josephine Stevens, and strodeforth to the mound, leaving the unfortunate Princeman to take his placeby the side of Miss Stevens and give her an opportunity to sympathizewith his poor maimed pitching hand, which, after a perfunctory momentof interest, she was too busy to do; for Jack Turner and Sam Turner, smiling across at each other in mutual confidence and esteem, proceededto strike out the next three batters in succession, leaving mencemented to first and second bases, where they had been wildlyimploring for opportunities to tear themselves loose. 

What need to tell of the balance of that game; of the calm, easy, one-two-three work of the invincible Turner battery; of the brilliantbase throwing and fielding of Turner and Turner, and their mighty swatswhen they came to bat? You know how the game turned out. Anybodywould know. It ended in a triumph for Meadow Brook at the end of theseventh inning, which is all any summer resort game ever goes, and twoinnings more than most, by a total and glorious score of twenty-one toseventeen. And who were the heroes of the hour, as smilingly butmodestly they strode from the diamond? Who, indeed, but Jack Turnerand Sam Turner; and by token of their victory, after receiving thefrenzied plaudits of all Meadow Brook and the generous plaudits of allHollis Creek, they marched in triumph from the field, one on eitherside of Miss Josephine Stevens! Where now were Hollis and Princemanand Billy Westlake? Nowhere! They were forgotten of men, ignored ofwomen, and the laurels of sweet victory rested upon the brow of busySam Turner!

CHAPTER XVI

AN INTERRUPTED BUT PROPERLY FINISHED PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE

Jack's first opportunity for a quiet talk with his brother did notoccur for an hour after the game. 

"I don't like to worry you while you're resting, Sam, " he began, "butI'll have to tell you that the Flatbush deal seems likely to dropthrough. It reaches a head to-morrow, you know. "

[Illustration: "I don't like to worry you, Sam"]

Sam Turner grabbed for his watch. 

"It can't drop through!" he vigorously declared. "I'll go right upthere to-night and look after it. "

"But you're on your vacation, " protested Jack. "That's no way to rest. "

"On my vacation!" snorted Sam. "Of course I am. I'm not losing aminute of my vacation. The proper way to have a vacation is to do thething you enjoy most. Don't you suppose I'll enjoy closing thatFlatbush deal?"

"Certainly, " admitted his brother, "and I'll enjoy seeing you do it. Iknow you can. "

"Of course I can. But you're to stay here. "

"It's not my turn for an outing, " protested Jack. "I haven't earnedone yet. "

"You're to work, " explained Sam. "You see, Jack, in one week I can'tbecome a bowling or golf expert enough to beat Princeman, nor a tennisor dancing expert enough to outshine Billy Westlake, nor a horseback orcroquet expert enough to make a deuce out of Hollis. You can do allthese things, and I want you to give this crowd of distinguishedamateurs a showing up. Jack, if you ever worked for athletic honors inyour life now is the time to do it; and in between time stick to MissStevens like glue. Monopolize her. Don't give these three or anyother contenders any of her time. Keep her busy. Let me know everyday what progress you're making; don't stop to write; wire! Forremember, Jack, I'm going to marry her. I've got to. "

"Well, then you'll marry her, " Jack sagely concluded. "Does she knowit yet?"

"I don't think she's quite sure of it, " returned Sam with carefulanalysis. "Of course she's thought about it. Sometimes she thinks shewon't, and sometimes she thinks she will, and sometimes she isn't quitesure whether she will or not. Don't you worry about that part, though, and don't bother to boost me. Just quietly you take the shine out ofthese summer champions and leave the rest to your brother Sam. "

"Fine, " agreed Jack. "Run right along and sell your papers, Sammy, andI'll wire you every time I put over a point. "

Sam hunted and found Miss Josephine. 

"I'm sorry I have to take a run back to New York for two or threedays, " he said. 

She bent upon him a glance of amusement; the old glance of mingledamusement and mischief. 

"I thought you were on your vacation, " she observed. 

"And I am, " he insisted. "I've been having a bully time, and I'll comeback here to finish up the couple of days I have left. "

"Then the drive which didn't count this morning, and which waspostponed again until to-morrow morning, will have to be put off oncemore, " she reminded him with a gay laugh. 

"By George, that's so!" he exclaimed. "In all the excitement it hadquite slipped my mind. "

"I presume you're going up on business, " she slyly observed. 

"Yes, I am, " he admitted. 

She laughed and gave him her hand. 

"Well, I wish you good luck, " she said. "I hope you make all the moneyin the world. But you won't forget us who are down here in the countrydawdling away our time in useless amusements. "

"Forget you!" he returned impetuously. "Never for a minute!" and hewas in such deadly earnest about it that she hastily checked furtherspeech, although she did not know why. 

"Good!" she hurriedly exclaimed. "I'm glad you will bear us in mindwhile you're gone. Are you going to take your brother along?"

"No, " he said with a smile. "I'm putting him in as my vacationsubstitute, and I'll give him special instructions to call you up everymorning for orders. You'll find him in perfect discipline. He'll dowhatever you tell him. "

"I shall give him a thorough trial, " she laughed. "I never yet hadanybody to come and go abjectly at the word of command, and I think itwill be a delightful novelty. "

Jack approaching just then, she took his arm quite comfortably. 

"Your brother tells me that during his absence you are to be my chiefaide and attaché, " she advised that young man gaily; "that you'll fetchand carry and do what I tell you; and the first thing you must do is tocall for me when you take Mr. Turner to the train. "

It is glorious to part so pleasantly as that from people you havepersistently in mind, and Sam, with such cheerful recollections, enjoyed his vacation to the full as he did new and brilliant andunexpected things in closing up the Flatbush deal, keeping, in themeantime, in constant touch with his office and with such telegrams asthese:

"Established new tennis record this morning Westlake nowhere and hasbeen snubbed do not know why. "

"Bowled two eighty five last night against Princeman two twenty amteaching her. "

"Danced six dances out of twelve with her says I'm better dancer thanBilly Westlake. "

"Jumped Hollis Creek after her hat on horseback this afternoon Hollisdared not follow am to give her riding lessons. "

Then came this one:

"Her father just told me she refused Princeman last night she will nottalk to Hollis and scarcely to me is dull and does not eat I beat allentries in ten mile Marathon today and she hardly applauded wireinstructions. "

Sam Turner took the next train. One look at Miss Stevens, after he hadtraveled two years to reach Restview, made him suddenly intoxicated, for in her eyes there was ravenous hunger for him and he read it, andfeeling rather sure of his ground he determined that now was the timeto strike. With that decisive end in view he dropped Jack at MeadowBrook and went right on over to Hollis Creek with Miss Josephine. Ofcourse there was no chance to talk quite intimately, with Henry upthere ahead listening with all his ears, but there was every chance inthe world to look into her eyes and grow delirious; to touch elbows; tolook again and gaze deep into her eyes and see her turn away startledand half frightened; to say perfunctory things which meant nothing andeverything, and receive perfunctory answers which meant as little andas much; but before they had arrived at Hollis Creek Sam was franklyand boldly holding her hand and she was letting him do it, and theywere both of them profoundly happy and profoundly silly, and would justas leave have ridden on that way for ever. 

Words seemed superfluous, but yet they were more or less necessary, soSam got out at Hollis Creek Inn with her, and led the way determinedlyand directly into the stuffy little parlor just off the main assemblyroom. He saw Mr. Stevens in the door of the post-office, but onlynodded to him, and then he drew Miss Josephine into the corner freestfrom observation. 

"You know why I came back, " he informed her, fixing her with a masterlyeye; "I had to see you again. My whole life is changed since I metyou. I need you. I can not do without you. I--"

"Beg your pardon, Sam, " said Mr. Stevens, appearing suddenly in thedoorway, and then he paused, much more confused even than the youngpeople, for Sam was holding both Miss Josephine's hands and gazing downat her with an earnestness which, if harnessed, would have driven afour-ton dynamo; and she was gazing up at him just as earnestly, withan entirely breathless, but by no means displeased expression. 

"Excuse me!" stammered Mr. Stevens. 

[Illustration: "Excuse me!" stammered Mr. Stevens. ]

It was Miss Josephine who first found her aplomb. She smiled her raresmile of mingled amusement and mischief at Sam, and then at her father. 

"You're quite excusable, I guess, father, " she said sweetly. "What isit?"

"Why, your brother Jack just called you up from Meadow Brook, Sam, andwants to tell you something immediately, " stammered Mr. Stevens, plucking at a beard which in that moment seemed to have lost all itsaggressiveness. "He called twice before you arrived, and is on the'phone now. "

Sam, as he walked to the telephone, had time to find that his heart wasbeating a tattoo against his ribs, that his breath was short andfluttery, and that stage fright had suddenly crept over him and claimedhim for its own; so it was with no great patience or understanding thathe heard Jack tell him in great glee about some tests which Princemanhad had made in his own paper mills with the marsh pulp, and howPrinceman was sorry he had not taken more stock, and could not thetreasury stock be opened for further subscription? "Tell him no, " saidSam shortly, and hung up the receiver; then he repented of hisbluntness and spent five precious minutes in recalling his brother andapologizing for his bruskness, explaining that Princeman was probablytrying to plan another attempt to pool the stock. 

In the meantime Theophilus Stevens had stood surveying his daughter incontrition. 

"I'm afraid I came in at a most inopportune moment, " he said by way ofapology. 

"Yes, I'm afraid you did, " she admitted with a smile. "However, Idon't think Sam will forget what he wanted to say, " and suddenly shereached up and put her arms around her father's neck and drew his facedown and kissed him rapturously. 

"I'm glad to see you feel the way you do about it, " said Mr. Stevensdelightedly, petting her gently upon the shoulder with one hand andwith the other smoothing back the hair from her forehead. She was thedearest to him of all his children, although he never confessed it, even to himself, and just now they were very, very close togetherindeed. "I'm glad to hear you call him Sam, too. He's a fine youngman and he is bound to be a howling success in everything heundertakes. " He smiled reminiscently. "I rather thought there wassomething between you two, " he went on, still patting her shoulder, "and when Dan Westlake told me that his girl thought a great deal ofSam and that he was going to buy enough stock in Sam's company to giveSam control, I turned right around and bought just as much stock asWestlake had, although just before the meeting I had refused to investas much money as Sam wanted me to. Moreover, Westlake and myself, between us, stopped the move to pool the outside stock, just yet. He'sa smart young man, that boy, " he continued admiringly. "I didn't see, until I went into that meeting, why he was so crazy to have me buyenough stock to gain control-- What's the matter?"

He stopped in perplexity, for his daughter, looking aghast at him, hadpushed back from his embrace and was regarding him with perfectly roundeyes, while over her face, at first pale, there gradually crept acrimson flush. 

"Well, of all things!" she gasped. "Of all the cold-blooded, cruel, barter-and-sale proceedings! Why, father, how--how could you! Howcould he! I never in all my life--"

"Why, Jo, what do you mean? What's the trouble?"

"If you don't understand I can't make you, " she said helplessly. 

"Well, I'll be--busted!" observed Mr. Stevens under his breath. 

To his infinite relief Sam came in just then, and Mr. Stevens, wondering what he had done now, slipped hastily out of the room. Mr. Turner, coming from the bright office into the dim room and innocent ofany change in the atmosphere, approached confidently and eagerly toMiss Josephine with both hands extended, but she stepped back mostindignantly. 

"You need not finish what you were going to say!" she warned him. "Myfather has just given me some information which changes the entireaspect of affairs. I am not a part of a business bargain! I refuse tobe regarded as a commercial proposition! I heard something from Mr. Princeman of what desperate efforts you were making to secure thecommand, whatever that may be, of the--of the stock--board--of sharesin your new company, but I did not think you would go to such lengthsas this!"

"Why, my dear girl, " began Sam, shocked. 

"I am not your dear girl and I never shall be, " she told him, andangrily dabbed at some sudden tears. "I never was. I was only abusiness possibility. "

"That's unjust, " he charged her. "I don't see how you could accuse meof regarding you in any other way than as the dearest and the sweetestand the most beautiful girl in all the world, the wisest and the mostsensible, the most faithful, the most charming, the most delightful, the most everything that is desirable. "

"Wait just a moment, " she told him, very coldly indeed; with almostextravagant coldness, in fact, as she beat out of her consciousness theenticing epithets he had bestowed upon her. "Do you mean to say thatnever in your calculations did you consider that if you married me myfather would vote his stock with yours--I believe that's the way heputs it--and give you command or whatever it is of your company?"

"Well, " considered Sam, brought to a standstill and put straight uponhis honor, "I can't deny that it did seem to me a very satisfactorything that my father-in-law should own enough stock in the company--"

"That will do, " she interrupted him icily. "That is precisely what Ihave charged. We will consider this subject as ended, Mr. Turner; asone never to be referred to again. "

"We'll do nothing of the sort, " returned Sam flat-footedly. "I've beencomposing this speech for the last two weeks and I'm going to deliverit. I'm not going to have it wasted. I've unconsciously beenrehearsing it every place I went. Even up in Flatbush, showing a manthe superior advantages of that yellow-mud district, I found myselfrepeating sentence number twelve. It's been the first thing I thoughtof in the morning and the last thing I thought of at night. It's beenwith me all day, riding and walking and talking and eating and drinkingand just breathing. Now I'm going to go through with it. 

"I--I--confound it all! I've forgotten how I was going to say it now!After all, though, it only amounted to this: I love you! I want you toknow it and understand it. I love you and love you and love you! Inever loved any woman before in my life. I never had time. I didn'tknow what it was like. If I had I'd have fought it off until I metyou, because I could not afford it for anybody short of you. It takesmy whole attention. It distracts my mind entirely from other things. I can't think of anything else consecutively and connectedly. I--I'msorry you take the attitude you do about this thing, but--I'm not goingto accept your viewpoint. You've got to look at this thing differentlyto understand it. 

"I know you've been glad I loved you. You were glad the first day wemet, and you always will be glad! Whatever you have to say about itjust now don't count. I'm going to let you alone a while to think itover, and then I'm coming back to tell you more about it, " and withthat Sam stalked from the room, leaving Miss Josephine Stevens gasping, dazed, quite sure that he was unforgivable, indignant with everything, still rankling, in spite of all Sam had said, with the thought that shehad been made a mere part of a commercial transaction. Why, it waslike those barbarous countries she had read about, where wives arebought and sold! Preposterous and unbearable!

While she was in this storm of mixed emotions her father came in uponher, this time seriously perplexed. 

"What has happened to Sam Turner?" he demanded. "He slammed out of thehouse, passed me on the porch with only a grunt, and jumped into hisautomobile. You must have done something to anger him. "

"I hope that I did!" she retorted with spirit. "I refused to marryhim. "

"You did!" he returned in surprise. "Why, I thought it was all cut anddried between you. "

"It was until you blundered into us and spoiled everything, " shecharged. "But I'm glad you did. You let me know that Sam Turnerwanted to marry me because you had bought shares enough in his companyto give him the advantage. I'm ashamed of you and ashamed of Sam--ofMr. Turner--and ashamed of myself. Why, you make a bargain-counterremnant of me! I never, _never_ was so humiliated!"

"Poor child!" her father blandly sympathized. "Also, poor Sam. By theway, though, he doesn't need you to secure control of his company. DanWestlake, as I told you, has bought enough stock to do the work, andMiss Westlake would marry him in a minute. If Sam wants control of hiscompany, he only has to go to her and say the word. "

"Father!" exclaimed his daughter with stern indignation. "I don't seehow you can even suggest that!"

"Suggest what? Now, what have I said?"

"That Sam--that Mr. Turner would even dream of marrying that Westlakegirl, just in order to get the better of a business transaction, " andvery much to Theophilus Stevens' surprise and consternation and dismay, she suddenly crumpled up in a heap in her chair and burst out crying. 

"Well, I'll be busted!" her father muttered into his beard. 

CHAPTER XVII

SHE CALLS HIM SAM!

Miss Josephine, finding all ordinary occupations stale, unprofitableand wearisome on the following morning, and finding herself, moreover, possessed of a restless spirit which urged her to do something or otherand yet recoiled at each suggestion she made it, started out quiteaimlessly to walk by herself. She walked in the direction of MeadowBrook. The paths in that direction were so much prettier. 

Sam Turner, finding all other occupations stale, unprofitable andwearisome, at the same moment started out to walk by himself, going inthe direction of Hollis Creek because that was the exact direction inwhich he wanted to go. As he walked much more rapidly than MissStevens, he arrived midway of the distance before she did, but at thevalley where the unnamed stream came rippling down he paused. 

He had looked often at this little hollow as he had passed it, andevery time he had looked upon it he seemed to have an idea of some sortin the back of his head regarding it; a dim, unformed, fugitive sort ofidea which had never asserted itself very prominently because he hadbeen too busy to listen to its rather timid voice. 

Just now, however, the idea suddenly struggled to make itself loudlyknown, whereupon Sam bade it come forth. Given hearing it proved to bea very pleasant idea, and a forceful one as well; so much so that iteven checked the speed with which Sam had set out for Hollis Creek. Helooked calculatingly across the road to where the little stream wentflashing from under its wooden bridge across the field and hid around acurve behind some bushes, then reappeared, dancing in the sunlight, until finally it plunged among some far trees and was lost to him. Hegazed up the stream. He had not very far to look, for there it randown between two quite steep hills, through a sort of pocket valley, closed or almost closed, at the upper end, by another hill equallysteep, its waters being augmented by a leaping little stream from astrong spring hidden away somewhere in the hill to the left. 

As his eyes calculatingly swept stream and hills, they suddenly caughta flutter of white through the trees, and it was coming down thewinding path which led across the hills to Hollis Creek. As it emergedmore from the concealment of the leaves his blood gave a leap, for theflutter of white was a gown inclosing the unmistakable figure of MissJosephine Stevens. The whole valley suddenly seemed radiant. 

"Hello!" he called to her as she approached. "I didn't expect to findyou here. "

"I did not expect to be here, " she laughed. "I just started out for astroll and happened to land in this beautiful spot. "

"Beautiful is no name for it, " he replied with sudden vast enthusiasm, and ran up the path to help her down over a steep place. 

For a moment, in the wonderful mystery of the touch of her hand and thejoy of her presence, he forgot everything else. What was this strangephenomenon, by which the mere presence of one particular person filledall the air with a tingling glow? Marvelous, that's what it was! IfMiss Josephine had any of the same wonder she was extremely careful notto express it, nor let it show, especially after yesterday'sconversation, so she immediately talked of other things; and the firstthing which came handy was another reference to the beautiful valley. 

"You know, it is a wonder to me, " she said, "that no one has built asummer resort here. I think it ever so much more charming than eitherHollis Creek or Meadow Brook. "

"Do you believe in telepathy?" asked Sam, almost startled. "I do. Ithasn't been but a few minutes since that identical idea popped into myhead, and I had just now decided that if I could secure options on thisproperty I would have a real summer resort here--one that would makeHollis Creek and Meadow Brook mere farm boarding-houses. Do you seehow close together these hills draw at their feet? The hollow is atleast a thousand feet across at the widest part, but down there at theroad, where the stream emerges to the fields, they close in withnatural buttresses, as it were, to not over a hundred feet in width. Well, right across there we'll build a dam, and there is enough waterhere to make a beautiful lake up as high as that yellow rock. "

Miss Josephine looked up at the yellow rock and clasped her hands withan exclamation of delight. 

"Glorious!" she said. "I never would have thought of that; and howbeautiful it will be! Why, if the lake comes up that high it will goclear back around that turn in the valley, won't it?"

"Easily, " he replied; "although that might make us trouble, for I don'tknow where that turn in the valley leads. I have never explored thatregion. Suppose we go up and look it over. "

"Won't that be fun?" she agreed, and they started to follow the stream. 

As they reached the rear of the "pocket, " where they could see aroundthe curve, they turned and looked back over the route they had justtraversed. 

"My idea, " Sam explained, having waited until they reached thisviewpoint to do so, "is to build the dam down there at the roadside, and build the hotel right over it so that arriving guests will, afteran elevator has brought them up to the height of the main floor, findthe blue of the lake suddenly bursting upon them from the main piazza, which will face the valley. All of the inside rooms will, of course, have hanging balconies looking out over the water. "

"Perfectly ideal!" she agreed, her enthusiasm growing. 

"I think I'd better investigate the curve of the valley, " he decided, studying the path carefully. "It seems rather rough for you, and I'llgo alone. All I want to see is how far the water height will carryaround there, and if it will become necessary to build a dam at theother end. "

"Oh, it isn't too rough for me, " she declared immediately. "I am anexcellent climber, " and together they started to explore the nownarrowing valley, following the stream over steep rocks and fallentrees, and pushing through tangled undergrowth and among briers andbushes and around slippery banks until they came to another tortuousturn, where a second spring, welling up from under a flat, overhangingrock, tumbled down to augment the supply for the future lake; and herethey stopped and had a drink of the cool, delicious water, Sam makingthe girl a cup from a huge leaf which she said made the water tastefuzzy, and then showing her how to get down on her hands andknees--spreading his coat on the ground to protect her gown--and drink_au naturel_, a trick at which she was most charming, and probably knewit. 

The valley here had grown most narrow, but they followed the now verysmall stream around one sharp curve after another until they found itssource, which was still another spring, and here there was no morevalley; but a cleft in the hill to the right, which they suddenly cameupon, gave them an exquisite view out over the beautiful low-lyingcountry, miles in extent, which lay between this and the next range ofhills; a delightful vista dotted with green farms and white farm-housesand smiling streams and waving trees and grazing cattle. They stoppedin awe at the beauty of it and looked out over the valley in silence;and unconsciously the girl slipped her hand within the arm of the man!

"Just imagine a sunset out over there, " he said. "You see those fleecyclouds that are out there now. If clouds like those are still therewhen the sun goes down, they will be a fleet of pearl-gray vessels, with carmine keels, upon a sea of gold. "

She glanced at him quickly, but she did not express her marvel thatthis man had so many sides. Before she could comment, and while shewas still framing some way to express her appreciation of his gentlergifts, he returned briskly to practical things. 

"Our lake will scarcely come up to this point, " he judged. "I don'tthink that at any point it will be high enough to cover the springs. We don't want it to if we can help it, for that would destroy some ofthe beauty of it. Have you noticed that our lake will be much like akite in shape, with this winding ravine the tail of it. We'll have totake in a lot of acreage to cover this property, but it will be worthit. I'm going to look after options right away. I'm glad now I hadalready decided to stay another two weeks. "

Of course she was still angry with Sam, she reminded herself, but shewas inexpressibly glad, somehow or other, to find that he was intendingto stay two weeks longer, and was startled as she recognized that fact. 

"It will take a lot of money, won't it, to build a hotel here?" sheasked, getting away from certain troublesome thoughts as quickly as shecould. 

"Yes, it will take a great deal, " he admitted, as they turned toscramble down the ravine again. "I should judge, however, that abouttwo hundred and fifty thousand dollars would finance it. "

"But I thought, from something father once said, that you did not haveso much money as that?"

"Bless you, no!" replied Sam, smiling. "No indeed! I've enough tocover an option on this property and that's about all, now, since I'mtangled up so deeply with my Pulp Company, but I figure that I can makea quick turn on this property to help me out on the other thing. WhatI'll do, " he explained, "is to get this option first of all, and thenhave some plans drawn, including a nice perspective view of thehotel--a water-color sketch, you know, showing the building frontingthe lake--and upon that build a prospectus to get up the stock company. I'll take stock for my control of the land and for my services inpromotion. Then I'll sell my stock and get out. I ought to make theturn in two or three months and come out fifteen, or possibly twenty ortwenty-five thousand dollars to the good. It is a nice, big scheme. "

"Oh, " she said blankly, "then you wouldn't actually build a hotelyourself?"

"Hardly, " he returned. "I'll be content to make the profit out ofpromoting it that I'd make in the first four or five years of runningthe place. "

"I see, " she said musingly; "and you'd get this up just like you formedyour Marsh Pulp Company, I think father called it, and of course you'dtry to get--what is it?--oh, yes; control. "

He smiled at her. 

"I'd scarcely look for that in this deal, " he explained. "If I canjust get a nice slice of promotion stock and sell it I shall be quitewell satisfied. "

She bent puzzled brows over this new problem. 

"I don't quite understand how you can do it, " she confessed, "but ofcourse you know how. You're used to these things. Father says you'revery good at promoting. "

"That's the way I've made all my money, or rather what little I have, "he told her, modestly enough. "I expect this Pulp Company, however, tolift me out of that, for a few years at least; then when I come backinto the promoting field I can go after things on a big scale. ThePulp Company ought to make me a lot of money if I can just keep it inmy own hands, " and involuntarily he sighed. 

She looked at him musingly for a moment, and was about to saysomething, but thought better of it and said something else. 

"The tail of your kite will be almost a perfect letter 'S', " sheobserved. "How beautiful it will be; the big, broad lake out there inthe main valley, and then the nice, little, secluded, twisty waterwayback in through here; a regular lover's lane of a waterway, as it were. I don't suppose these springs have any names. They must be named, and--why, we haven't even named the lake!"

"Yes, we have, " he quickly returned. "I'm going to call it LakeJosephine. "

"You haven't asked my permission for that, " she objected with mockseverity. 

"There are plenty of Josephines in the world, " he calmly observed. "Nobody has a copyright on the name, you know. "

She smiled, as one sure of her ground. 

"Yes, but you wouldn't call it that, if I were to object seriously. "

"No, I guess I wouldn't, " he gave up; "but you're not going to objectseriously, are you?"

"I'll think it over, " she said. 

They were now making their way along a bank that was too difficult oftravel to allow much conversation, though it did allow some delicioushelping, but when they came out into the main valley where they couldagain look down on the road, they paused to survey the course overwhich they had just come, and to appreciate to the full the beauty ofSam's plan. 

"I don't believe I quite like your idea of the hotel built down thereat the roadside, " she objected as they sat on a huge boulder to rest. "It cuts off the view of the lake from passers-by, and I should thinkit would be the best advertisement you could have for everybody whodrove past there to say: 'Oh, what a pretty place!' Now I should thinkthat right about here where we are sitting would be the proper locationfor your hotel. Just think how the lake and the building would lookfrom the road. Right here would be a broad porch jutting out over thewater, giving a view down that first bend of the kite tail, and back ofthe hotel would be this big hill and all the trees, and hills and treeswould spread out each side of it, sort of open armed, as it were, welcoming people in. "

"It couldn't be seen, though, " objected Sam. "The dam down there wouldnecessarily be about thirty feet high at the center, and people drivingalong the roadway would not be able to see the water at all. Theywould only see the blank wall of the dam. Of course we could softenthat by building the dam back a few feet from the roadway, making anembankment and covering that with turf, or possibly shrubbery orflowers, but still the water would not be visible, nor the hotel!"

"I see, " she said slowly. 

They both studied that objection in silence for quite a little while. Then she suddenly and excitedly ejaculated:

"_Sam_!"

He jumped, and he thrilled all through. She had called him Samentirely unconsciously, which showed that she had been thinking of himby that familiar name. With the exclamation had come sparkling eyesand heightened color, not due to having used the word, but due to abright thought, and he almost lost his sense of logic in consideringthe delightful combination. It occurred to him, however, that it wouldbe very unwise for him to call attention to her slip of the tongue, oreven to give her time to think and recognize it herself. 

"Another idea?" he asked. 

"Indeed yes, " she asserted, "and this time I know it's feasible. Idon't know much about measurements in feet and inches, but there arethree feet in a yard. "

"Yes. "

"Well, doesn't the road down there, from hill to hill, dip about tenyards?"

"Yes. "

"Well then, that's thirty feet, just as high as you say the dam willhave to be. Why not raise the road itself thirty feet, letting it belevel and just as high as your dam?"

Sam rose and solemnly shook hands with her. 

"You must come into the firm, " he declared. "That solves the entireproblem. We'll run a culvert underneath there to the fields. The roadwill reinforce the dam and the edge of the dam will be entirelyconcealed. It will be merely a retaining wall with a nice stonecoping, which will be repeated on the field side. There will be noobjection from the county commissioners, because we shall improve theroad by taking two steep hills out of it. Your plan is much betterthan mine. I can see myself, for instance, driving along that road onmy way to Hollis Creek from Restview, looking over that beautifullittle lake to the hotel beyond, and saying to myself: 'Well, nextsummer I won't stop at Hollis Creek. I'll stop at Lake Jo. '"

"I thought it was to be Lake Josephine, " she interposed. 

"I thought so too, " he agreed, "but Lake Jo just slipped out. It seemsso much better. Lake Jo! That would look fine on a prospectus. "

"You'd print the cover of it in blue and gold, I suppose, wouldn't you?"

"There would need to be a splash of brown-red in it, " he reminded her, considering color schemes for a moment. "The roof of the hotel would, of course, be red tile. We'd build it fireproof. There is plenty ofgray stone around here, and we'd build it of native rock. "

"And then, " she went on, in the full swing of their idea, "think of thebeautiful walks and climbs you could have among these hills; and thedriveway! Your approach to the hotel would come around the dam and upthat hill, would wind up through those trees and rocks, and right hereat the bend of the ravine it would cross the thick part of the kitetail to the hotel on a quaint rustic bridge; and as people arrived anddeparted you'd hear the clatter of the horses' hoofs. "

"Great!" he exclaimed, catching her enthusiasm and with it augmentinghis own, "and guests leaving would first wave good-by at theporte-cochère just about where we are sitting. They'd clatter acrossthe bridge, with their friends on the porch still flutteringhandkerchiefs after them; they'd disappear into the trees over yonderand around through that cleft in the rocks. And see; on the other sideof the cleft there is a little tableland which juts out, and the roadwould wind over that, where carriages would once more be seen from thehotel porch. Then they'd twist in through the trees again down thewinding driveway, and once more, for the very last glimpse, come intoview as they went across our new road in front of the lake; and therethe last flutter of handkerchiefs would be seen. You know it's sillyto stand and wave your friends out of sight for a long distance whenthey're always in view, but if the view is interrupted two or threetimes it relieves the monotony. "

CHAPTER XVIII

SAM TURNER ACQUIRES A BUSINESS PARTNER

They followed the stream down to the road, at every step gaging withthe eye the height of the lake and judging the altered scenic view fromthe level of the water. There would be room for dozens and dozens ofboats upon that surface without interference. Sam calculated that fromthe upper spring there would be headway enough to run a small fountainin the center, surrounded by a pond-lily bed which would be kept inplace by a stone curbing. In the hill to the right there was a deepindenture. Back in there would go the bathing pavilions. They evenwent up to look at it, and were delighted to find a natural, shallowbowl. By cementing the floor of that bowl they could have a splendidswimming-pool for timid bathers, where they could not go beyond theirdepth; and it was entirely surrounded by a thick screen of shrubbery. Oh, it was delightful; it was perfect! At the road they looked back upover the valley again. It was no longer a valley. It was a lake. They could see the water there. Sam drew from his pocket a pencil andan envelope. 

"The hotel will have to be long and tall, " he observed, "for there willnot be much room on that ledge, from front to back. The building willstretch out quite a ways. Three or four hundred feet long it will be, and about five stories in height, " and taking a letter from theenvelope, he sat down upon a fallen log and began rapidly to sketch. 

He drew the hotel with wide-spreading Spanish roofs and balconies, anda wide porch with rippling water in front of it, and rowboats andpeople in them; and behind the hotel rose the broken sky-line of thehills and the trees, with an indication of fleecy clouds above. It wasjust a light sketch, a sort of shorthand picture, as it were, and yetit seemed full of sunlight and of atmosphere. 

"I hadn't any idea you could draw like that, " she exclaimed inadmiration. 

"I do a little of everything, I think, but nothing perfectly, " headmitted with some regret. 

"It seems to me you do everything excellently, " she objected quiteseriously; and she was, in fact, deeply impressed. 

He walked over to the stream, a trifle confused, but not displeased, byany means, by the earnestness of her compliment. 

"I must have the water analyzed to see if it has any medicinal virtue, "he said. "The spring out of which we drank has a sweetish-like taste, but the water here--" and he caught up some of it in his hand andtasted it, "seems to be slightly salt. "

He had left her sitting on the log with the sketch in her lap. Now thesketch fluttered to the ground and the letter turned over, right sideup. It was a letter which Sam had written to his brother Jack and hadnot mailed because he had suddenly decided to come down to the scene ofaction. As she stooped over to pick it up her eyes caught thesentence: "I love her, Jack, more than I can tell you, more than I cantell anybody, more than I can tell myself. It's the most important, the most stupendous thing--" She hastily turned that letter over andwas very careful to have it lying upon her lap, back upward, exactly ashe had left it there, and when he came back she was very, very carefulindeed to hand it nonchalantly over to him, with the sketch uppermost. 

"Of course, " he said, looking around him comprehensively, "this is onlya day-dream, so far. It may be impossible to realize it. "

"Why?" she asked, instantly concerned. "This project _must_ be carriedthrough! It is already as good as completed. It just must be done. Inever before had a hand, even in a remote way, in planning a big thing, and I couldn't bear not to see this done. What is to prevent it?"

"I may not be able to get the land, " returned Sam soberly. "It isprobably owned by half a dozen people, and one or more of them iscertain to want exorbitant prices for it. "

"It certainly can't be very valuable, " she protested. "It isn't fitfor anything, is it?"

"For nothing but the building of Lake Jo, " he agreed. "Right now it isworthless, but the minute anybody found out I wanted it it would becomeextremely valuable. The only way to do would be to see everybody atonce and close the options before they could get to talking it overamong themselves. "

"What time is it?" she demanded. 

He looked at his watch. 

"Ten-thirty, " he said. 

"Then let's go and see all these people right away, " she urged, jumpingto her feet. 

He smiled at her enthusiasm, but he was none loath to accept hersuggestion. 

"All right, " he agreed. "I wish they had telephones here in the woods. We'll simply have to walk over to Meadow Brook and get an auto. "

"Come on, " she said energetically, and they started out on the road. They had not gone far, however, when young Tilloughby, with MissWestlake, overtook them in a trap. He reined up, and Miss Westlakegreeted the pedestrians with frigid courtesy. Jack Turner hadaccidentally dropped her a hint. Now that she had begun to appreciateMr. Tilloughby--Bob--at his true value, she wondered what she had everseen in Sam Turner--and she never had liked Josephine Stevens!

"Gug-gug-gug-glorious day, isn't it?" observed Tilloughby, his faceglowing with joy. 

"Fine, " agreed Sam with enthusiasm. "There never was a more gloriousday in all the world. You've just come along in time to save ourlives, Tilloughby. Which way are you bound?"

"Wuw-wuw-wuw-we had intended to go around Bald Hill. "

"Well, postpone that for a few minutes, won't you, Tilloughby, like agood fellow? Trot back to Meadow Brook and send an auto out here forus. Get Henry, by all means, to drive it. "

"Wuw-wuw-wuw-with pleasure, " replied Tilloughby, wondering at thisstrange whim, but restraining his curiosity like a thoroughbred. "Huh-huh-huh-Henry shall be back here for you in a jiffy, " and he droveoff in a cloud of dust. 

Miss Stevens surveyed the retiring trap in satisfaction. 

"Good, " she exclaimed. "I already feel as though we were doingsomething to save Lake Jo. "

They walked back quite contentedly to the valley and surveyed it anew, there resting now on both of them a sense of almost pridefulpossession. They discovered a high point on which a rustic observatorycould be built; they planned paths and trails; they found where thewater-line came just under an overhanging rock which would make a cavelarge enough for three or four boats to scurry under out of the rain. They found delightful surprises all along the bank of the future lake, and Miss Stevens declared that when the dam was built and the lakebegan to fill, she never intended to leave it except for meals, untilit was up to the level at which they would permit the overflow to beopened. 

Henry, returning with the automobile, found them far up in the valleydiscussing a floating band pavilion, but they came down quickly enoughwhen they saw him, and scrambled into the tonneau with the haste ofsmall children. Henry watched them take their places with smilingaffection. He had not only had good tips but pleasant words from Sam, and Miss Stevens was her own incentive to good wishes and good will. 

"Henry, " said Sam, "we want to drive around to see the people who ownthis land. "

"Oh, shucks, " said Henry, disappointed. "I can't drive you there. Theman that owns all this land lives in New York. "

"In New York!" repeated Sam in dismay. "What would anybody in New Yorkwant with this?"

"The fellow that bought it got it about ten years ago, " Henry informedthem. "He was going to build a big country house, back up there in thehills, I understand, and raise deer to shoot at, and things like that;got an architect to make him plans for house and stables and allcosting hundreds of thousands of dollars; but before he could breakground on it him and his wife had a spat and got a divorce. He triedto sell the land back again to the people he bought it from, but theywouldn't take it at any price. They were glad to be shut of it andnone of his rich friends wanted to buy it after that, because, theysaid, there were so many of those cheap summer resorts around here. "

"I see, " said Sam musingly. "You don't happen to know the man's name, do you?"

"Dickson, I think it was. Henry Dickson. I remember his first namebecause it was the same as mine. "

"Great!" exclaimed Sam, overjoyed. "Why, I know Henry Dickson like abook. I've engineered several deals for him. He's a mighty goodfriend of mine too. That simplifies matters. Drive us right over toHollis Creek. "

"To Hollis Creek!" she objected. "I should think you'd drive to MeadowBrook instead and dress for the trip. Aren't you going to catch thatafternoon train and go right up there?"

"By no means. This is Saturday, and by the time I'd get to New York hecouldn't be found anywhere; and anyhow, I wouldn't have time to deliveryou at Hollis Creek and make this next train. "

"Don't mind about me, " she urged. "I could go to the train with youand Henry could take me back to Hollis Creek. "

"That's fine of you, " returned Sam gratefully; "but it isn't theprogram at all. I happen to know that Dickson stays in his officeuntil one o'clock on Saturdays. I'll get him by long distance. "

They were quite silent in calculation on the way to Hollis Creek, andMiss Josephine found herself pushing forward to help make the machinego faster. Breathlessly she followed Sam into the house, and heobligingly left the door of the telephone booth ajar, so that she couldhear his conversation with Dickson. 

"Hello, Dickson, " said Sam, when he got his connection. "This is SamTurner. . . . Oh yes, fine. Never better in my life. . . . Up herein Hamster County, taking a little vacation. Say, Dickson, Iunderstand you own a thousand acres down here. Do you want to sell it?. . . How much?" As he received the answer to that question he turnedto Miss Josephine and winked, while an expression of profound joy, albeit materialized into a grin, overspread his features. "I won'tdicker with you on that price, " he said into the telephone. "But willyou take my note for it at six per cent. ?"

He laughed aloud at the next reply. 

"No, I don't want it to run that long. The interest in a hundred yearswould amount to too much; but I'll make it five years. . . . Allright, Dickson, instruct your lawyer chap to make out the papers andI'll be up Monday to close with you. "

He hung up the receiver and turned to meet her glistening eyes fixedupon him in ecstasy. "It's better than all right, " he assured her. Hewas more enthusiastic about this than he had ever been about anybusiness deal in his life, that is, more openly enthusiastic, for MissJosephine's enthusiasm was contagion itself. He took her arm with aswing, and they hurried into the writing-room, which was deserted forthe time being on account of the mail having just come in. Sam placeda chair for her and they sat down at the table. 

"I want to figure a minute, " said he. "Now that I have actualpossession of the property, in place of a mere option, I can go at thething differently. First of all, when I go up Monday I'll see myengineer, and on Tuesday morning I'll bring him down here with me. Then I shall secure permission from the county to alter that road andwe'll build the dam. That will cost very little in comparison to thewhole improvement. Then, and not till then, I'll get out my stockprospectus, and I'll drive prospective investors down here to look atLake Jo. I'll be almost in position to dictate terms. "

"Isn't that fine!" she exclaimed. "And then I suppose you cansecure--control, " she ventured anxiously. 

"Yes, I think I can if I want it, " he assured her. 

"I'm so glad, " she said gravely. "I'm so very glad. "

"Really, though, I have a big notion to see if I can't finance theentire project myself. I'm quite sure I can get Dickson to give me aclear deed to that land merely on my unsupported note. If I can dothat I can erect all the buildings on progressive mortgages. Roadwaysand engineering work of course I'll have to pay for, and then I canfinance a subsidiary operating company to rent the plant from theoriginal company, and can retain stock in both of them. I'll figurethat out both ways. "

It was all Greek to her, this talk, but she knitted her brows in anearnest effort to understand, and crowded close to him to look over thefigures he was putting down. The touch of her arm against his ownthrew out his calculations entirely. He could not add a row of figuresto save his life. 

"I'll go over the financial end of this later on, " he said, but he didnot put away the paper. He kept it there for them both to look at, touching arms. 

"All right, " she agreed, "but you must let me see you do it. Of courseI can't understand, but I do want to feel as if I were helping when itis done. "

"I won't take a step in it without consulting you or having you along, "he promised. 

At that moment the bugle sounded the first call for luncheon. 

"You'll stay for luncheon, " she invited. 

"Certainly, " he assured her. "You couldn't drive me away. "

"Very well, right after luncheon let's go out and look at the placeagain. It will look different now that it is--" She caught herself. She had almost said "now that it is ours. " "Now that it is secured, "she finished. 

After luncheon they drove back to the site of Lake Jo, and spent adelirious while planning the things which were to be done to make thatspot an earthly Paradise. Never was a couple so prolific of ideas asthey were that afternoon. With 'Ennery waiting down in the road theytramped all over the hills again, standing first on one spot and thenanother to survey the alluring prospect, and to plan wonderful new andattractive features of which no previous summer resort builder had evereven dared to dream. 

During the afternoon not one word passed between them which might beconstrued to be of an intimately personal nature, but as they drove toHollis Creek, tired but happy, Sam somehow or other felt that he hadmade quite a bit of progress, and was correspondingly elated. LeavingMiss Stevens on the porch he hurried home to dress for dinner, for itwas growing late, but immediately after dinner he drove over again. When he arrived Miss Josephine was in the seldom used parlor with herfather. 

"I haven't seen you since breakfast, " Mr. Stevens had said, pinchingher cheek, "Hollis and Billy Westlake have been looking for youeverywhere. "

"Oh, they, " she returned with kindly contempt. "I'm glad I didn't seethem. They're nice boys enough, but father, I don't believe thateither one of them will ever become clever business men!"

"No?" he replied, highly amused. "Well, I don't think they willeither. Business is a shade too big a game for them. But where haveyou been?"

"Out on business with S-s-s--with Mr. Turner, " she replied demurely. "I came in late for lunch, and you had already finished and gone. Thenwe went right back out again. Father, we have found the dearest, themost delightful, the most charming business opportunity you ever saw. You must go out with us to-morrow and look at it. Sam's going to builda lake and call it Lake Jo. You know where that little stream isbetween here and Meadow Brook? Well, that's the place. We found outthis morning what a delightful spot it would make for a lake and a bigsummer resort hotel, and at noon Sam bought the property, and we havebeen planning it all afternoon. He's bought it outright and he's goingto capitalize it for a quarter of a million dollars. How much stockare you going to take in it?"

"How much what?"

"How many shares of stock are you going to take in it? You must speakup quickly, because it's going to be a favor to you for us to let youin. "

"Well, I don't know, " said Mr. Stevens, resisting a sudden desire toguffaw. "I'd have to look it over first before I decide to invest. Sounds like a sort of wild-eyed scheme to me. Besides that, I alreadyhave a good big block of stock in one of Sam Turner's enterprises. "

"Oh, yes, " she said, puckering her brows. "Are you going to vote yourpulp stock with his?"

Mr. Stevens' eyes twinkled, but his tone was conservative gravityitself. 

"Well, since it's a purely business deal it would not be a very wisething to do; and though Sam Turner is a mighty fine boy, I don't thinkI shall. "

"But you will!" she vigorously protested. "Why, father, you wouldn'tfor a minute vote against your own son-in-law!"

"No, I wouldn't!" declared Mr. Stevens emphatically, and suddenly drewher to him and kissed her; and she clung about his neck half laughingand half crying. 

Do you suppose there is anything in telepathy? It would seem so, forit was at this moment that Sam stepped up on the porch. They in theparlor heard his voice, and Mr. Stevens immediately slipped out theback way in order not to be _de trop_ a second time. Now Sam could notpossibly have known what had been said in the parlor, and yet when hefound his way in there, he and Miss Josephine, without any palaverabout it, without exchanging a solitary word, or scarcely even a look, just naturally fell into each other's arms. Neither one of them madethe first move. It just somehow happened, and they stood there andheld and held and held that embrace; and whatever foolishness they saidand did in the next hour is none of your business nor of mine; butlater in the evening, when they were sitting quietly in the darkestcorner of the porch, and Sam had his hand on the arm of her chair withher elbows resting upon his fingers--it didn't matter, you know, wherehe touched her, just so he did--she turned to him with thoughtfulearnestness in her voice. 

"Sam, " she said, and this time she used his first name quiteconsciously and was glad it was dark so that he could not see her traceof shyness, "I wish you would explain to me just what you mean bycontrol in a stock company. "

Sam Turner moved his fingers from under her elbow and caught her hand, which he firmly clasped before he began. 

"Well, Jo, it's just this way, " he said, and then, quite comfortably, he explained to her all about it. 

THE END