prepared in the small marquee. Now
he appeared himself, the genius of the place, and sat at the head of
the table.

Looking back at the curious relationship in which this man stood to the
people of St. Marys, it seems that he liked them more than he cared to
express, for the expression of any sentiment was strange to his lips.
He could do much for them, and did it, while, at the same time, he
asked nothing for himself. When not in action, Clark was particularly
silent, but when really in action he approached his subject with
obvious joy and interest, and coupled with this was his natural
instinct for impressive and dramatic situations. Something of this had
been recognized by Filmer and the others who came to lunch, so that,
afterwards, when he threw out a hint, the only one on record, it met
with immediate attention. He was talking to Worden when his eye drew
Filmer into the conversation.

"I have been wondering whether any of you gentlemen have bought any
land?"

The effect was that of a stone thrown into a pool, and one could see
the ripples of interest spreading. But it was so unexpected that there
followed a little silence, broken presently by a laugh from Filmer.

"What land?"

Clark waved a casual hand north and east. "Any land over there."

He got no immediate reply. The minds of his guests were traversing the
flat fields in which cattle grazed, that lay between the rapids and the
town.

"You have seen to-day something of what we propose to do, but only some
of it," he went on. "What's the present population of St. Marys?"

"About sixteen hundred," said Filmer thoughtfully.

"Well, gentlemen, assume that what you have seen is but the beginning,
only the breaking of the ground. You may take it from me, you are safe
in that. The population of St. Marys, five years from to-day, should
be,--" here he paused for an impressive moment--"sixteen thousand, and
in ten years, twenty-six thousand. Now where are those people going to
live? Mr. Manson, here, doesn't take me quite seriously, but you,
Judge, can you answer me; or you, Mr. Filmer? A good deal of it will
fall on your shoulders."

"I don't doubt you," answered the mayor, "but I can use all my money in
my business."

"As for me, I'm a government official and haven't any," added Worden,
with a tinge of regret.

"Money has been borrowed before this"--Clark's tones were distinctly
impersonal--"the bank is good and so is the future of the t