Why?" queried Fitch, as all eyes turned upon the woman. "Have you
inside information?"

"None whatever," she replied. "But Mr. Ames always gets what he goes
after, and he will secure control of C. and R. eventually."

"I don't believe it!" vigorously asserted Murdock, who had been an
interested listener. "He will never oust Stolz."

"I have one thousand dollars that says he will," said the Beaubien,
calmly regarding the speaker. "William, my checkbook, please."

Murdock seemed taken back for the moment; but lost no time recovering
his poise. Drawing out his own book he wrote a check in the Beaubien's
name for the amount and sent it down the table to her.

"Mr. Fitch will hold the stakes," said the woman, handing him the two
slips of paper. "And we will set a time limit of eighteen months."

"By the way," remarked Peele, the only one of the group who had taken
no part in the preceding conversation, "I see by the evening paper
that there's been another accident in the Avon mills. Fellow named
Marcus caught in a machine and crushed all out of shape. That's the
third one down there this month. They'll force Ames to equip his mills
with safety devices if this keeps up."

"Not while the yellow metal has any influence upon the Legislature,"
returned the Beaubien with a knowing smile. "But," she added more
seriously, "that is not where the danger lies. The real source of
apprehension is in the possibility of a strike. And if war breaks out
among those Hungarians down there it will cost him more than to equip
all his mills now with safety devices."

Gannette, who had been sulking in his chair, roused up. "Speaking
of war," he growled, "has Ames, or any of you fellows, got a
finger in the muddle in South America? I've got interests down
there--concessions and the like--and by--!" He wandered off into
incoherent mutterings.

The Beaubien gave a sharp command to the butler. "William, Mr.
Gannette is leaving now. You will escort him to the door."

"Now look here, Lucile!" cried Gannette, his apoplectic face becoming
more deeply purple, and his blear eyes leering angrily upon the calm
woman. "I ain't a-goin' to stand this! What have I done? I'm as sober
as any one here, an'--" William took the heavy man gently by the arm
and persuaded him to his feet. The other guests suppressed their
smiles and remained discreetly quiet.

"But--my car--!" sputtered Gannette.

"Have Henri take him to his club, William," said the Beaubie