! not a half-bad idea," commented Harris.

"Certainly not," continued Ketchim earnestly. "Now fix up everything
with her as regards the transfer of the mine to the new company, and
then let her go with Marjorie to the Elwin school. We can, if you
like, make some agreement with her to the effect that when the company
is on its feet and she is receiving dividends, she shall return what
it may advance for her schooling, eh?"

"You'd better accept the suggestion, Reed," put in Harris. "I'll be
here, you know, to keep an eye on the girl; and I'll take her and
Marjorie down to Conway myself, and attend to getting her located
right."

Reed continued to reflect. He was hardly in a position to refuse such
an offer. Besides, he was really leaving her in charge of Harris.
"Well," he said at length, "in that case I could leave for California
to-morrow night. That matter is pressing hard--all right, I accept the
company's offer. It's no more than is due the girl, anyway."

"Good!" replied Ketchim. "I'll make the necessary arrangements at
once. And now let's go over to church."

Thus it was that two days later Carmen, still wondering if she was
dreaming, was enrolled in the Elwin Select School for Girls, with
Marjorie Ketchim for roommate; while Reed, on the Overland Limited,
hurrying to the far West, was musing dubiously at frequent intervals
on Ketchim's rather conflicting statements, which, until left to this
enforced leisure, he had not had time to try to reconcile. At the same
time, while Harris was loudly declaiming to the gracious Madam Elwin
on the astonishing mental prowess of the girl, Ketchim and Cass sat
deeply immersed in the tentative plans for the newly-projected Simiti
Development Company.

"Now listen," said Ketchim, who for some minutes had been quietly
scanning his youthful lawyer, "Ames knows nothing about the formation
of this company, but Harris and Reed are not to know that; and we're
going to keep Ames in ignorance of all our plans. With the first sales
of stock--and they've already begun--we'll return him his Molino
investment. Nezlett wired me this morning that he's sure to sell a big
block to the Leveridges, that they're mightily interested, and want to
meet Carmen. We'll use the girl for just such purposes. That's one
reason why I wanted her handy, so's we could reach her at any time.
She makes a star impression; and with her as an advertisement we'll
sell a million dollars' worth of stock, and no t