t that rate meant certain financial disaster in the
near future. And yet the publishers of the rejuvenated sheet seemed
never to count the cost of their experiment. Already they had begun
the introduction of innovations that were startling and even
mirth-provoking to staid, conservative publishers in the journalistic
field. To survive the long period necessary for the education of the
public taste to such things as the Express stood for demanded a source
of income no less permanent than La Libertad itself. But at this
thought Ames chuckled aloud.

Then an idea occurred to him. The Beaubien, of course, in her
crippled financial condition was affording the Express no monetary
assistance. Carmen had nothing. Haynerd's few thousands were long
since dissipated. Hitt's income was measured. But--ah, Miss Wall! And
her estate was handled by Ames and Company! And handled, we may add,
in such a manner that Miss Wall knew naught regarding it, except that
she might draw upon it as one dips water from a hillside spring.

Thus Ames reflected. And as he meditated upon the new paper and its
promoters, there gradually formed within him a consuming desire to see
again the fair young girl who had drawn him so strongly, despite his
mountainous wrath and his flaming desire to crush her when she boldly
faced him in his own house on the night of his grand reception. Why
had he let her escape him then? He had been a fool! True, women had
meant little to him, at least in the last few years. But this girl had
seemed to stir within him new emotions, or those long slumbering. He
knew not, coarsely materialistic as was his current thought, that in
him, as in all who came within the radius of her pure affection, she
had swept chords whose music he had never heard before.

Days passed, while Ames still mused. And then one morning he took down
the receiver and called up the office of the Express.

No, Mr. Hitt was not there--but this was his assistant. And:

"You didn't want to see Mr. Hitt, did you? You wanted to see me. Well,
you may come over."

Ames nearly dropped the receiver in his astonishment. In the first
place, the girl had read his thought; and in the second, he was not
accustomed to being told that he might go to see people--they came
cringing to him.

"You may come at twelve-fifteen," continued the clear, firm voice.
"And remain a half hour; I'm very busy."

Ames put down the instrument and looked about, thankful that no one
was