from them."

"Quite satisfactory, Lafelle," returned Ames genially. "In future, if
I can be of service to you, I am yours to command. Mr. Willett will
hand you a check covering your traveling expenses on my behalf."

When the door closed after Lafelle, Ames leaned back in his chair and
gave himself up to a moment's reflection. "I wonder," he mused, "I
wonder if the fellow has something up his sleeve that he didn't show
me? He acted suspiciously. Perhaps he's getting a bit dangerous. He
may know too much already. I'm going to drop him after this trap is
sprung. He's got Jim Crowles's widow all tied up, too. I wonder if
he--by heaven! if he begins work on that girl I'll--"

He was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone bell. It was
Gannette. "What?" shouted Ames, "you say the girl insulted your
wife last evening? I don't believe she could--Yes, yes, I mean, I
don't think she meant to--certainly not, no aspersion whatever
intended--What? the girl will have to apologize?--Well! well--No,
not in a thousand years!--Yes, I'll back her! And if your society
isn't good enough for her--and I don't think it is--why, I'll form
a little coterie all by myself!"

He hung up the receiver with a slam. Then he angrily summoned Hodson.
"I want a dozen brokers watching Gannette now until I call them off,"
he commanded. "I want you to take personal charge of them. Dog his
every move. I'll give you some suggestions later."

Hodson bowed and went out. Ames continued his meditations. "Lucile
already has Gannette pretty well wound up in his Venezuelan
speculations--and they are going to smash--Lafelle has fixed that. And
I've bought her notes against Mrs. Hawley-Crowles for about a
million--which I have reinvested for her in Colombia. Humph! She'll
feed out of my hand now! La Libertad is mine when the trap falls. So
is C. and R. And that little upstart, Ketchim, goes to Sing Sing!"

He turned to the morning paper that lay upon his desk. "I don't like
the way the Colombian revolution drags," he mused. "But certainly it
can't last much longer. And then--then--"

His thoughts wandered off into devious channels. "So Jose de Rincon
is--well! well! Things have taken an odd turn. But--where on earth did
that girl come from? Lord! she was beautiful last night. All religion,
eh? Ha! ha! Well, she's young. There's a lot of experience coming to
her. And then she'll drop a few of her pious notions. Lucile says--but
Lucile is getting on my nerve