company, and get the charter. You gentlemen will return to Colombia as
soon as Mr. Ketchim can provide the necessary funds."

"Mr. Harris and I have formed an engineering partnership," said Reed.
"As such, we will handle the affairs of the new company in Colombia.
Mr. Harris will proceed to that country, while I go to California to
open a copper mine which we have taken over there. In time I will
relieve Mr. Harris in the South. Now, Mr. Ketchim, what can you do?"

"I'll send Houghton and Nezlett out on the road to-morrow. Rawlins
has just told me of one prospect, a bully one! We don't need to
wait for the papers from Albany before going ahead. But we find it
costs about forty-eight cents to sell a dollar's worth of stock, and
so some time will be needed to raise enough to send Mr. Harris back
to Colombia--unless," he added, eying Harris furtively, "he will
advance us the amount of his own expenses--"

"Which he will not!" retorted Harris warmly. "I haven't it, anyway.
Nor has Reed. We're both broke."

"There's a revolution on down there now," said Reed, "and we'd better
go easy for a while. Besides, Harris needs time to study the language.
But, are we all agreed on the terms? Salary for Harris while in
Colombia to be settled later, of course."

"It's all satisfactory, I think," said Ketchim, smiling happily. "The
details can be worked out anon--Molino stockholders' meeting, and so
on."

"Then," said Reed, rising, "we will consider the new company launched,
to take over the defunct Molino and to operate on a comprehensive
scale in Colombia, beginning with the development of La Libertad, if
we can secure it."

At that moment Rawlins opened the door and peered in. "A gentleman to
see Mr. Reed," he announced softly; "a priest, I believe."

Harris sprang to his feet. The door swung open, and Father Waite
entered with Carmen.

With a glad cry the girl dropped her bundle and bounded into the arms
of the astonished Harris. Reed grasped the priest's hand, and begged
him to speak. Ketchim and the young lawyer looked on in perplexity.

"I was unable to find your name in the city directory, Mr. Reed,"
explained the priest, his face beaming with happiness. "But at police
headquarters I found that you had made inquiries, and that detectives
were searching for the girl. I learned that you were living with your
wife's sister, and that you had no business address, having just come
up from South America. So I telephoned to