hen he discovers
that the oyster of life is a hollow, empty, fraudulent shell?"

"You're raving, Garman!"

"Do you accept the challenge?"

"To the limit."

"Good boy! I knew you wouldn't disappoint me. The girl would have
been worth while, but adding you, Payne, you glimpsing a dream of a
fool's paradise, will be glorious!"

"You talk like a damn fool," said Payne bluntly.

Garman nodded, and with the nod his strange mood passed and he was the
business man again.

"All right. That's all of that for the present. Now, what are you up
against? What are your biggest problems?"

"Thanks, but I am not placing myself entirely in your hands, Garman."

"That's right; play safe. But I'm talking business now. You're
tackling a hard job here. What can I do to help?"

"There's only one thing I want you to do, Garman; that's to keep your
hands off this job, and to keep your men from interfering with me and
my men and the job, or anything connected with it."

"That's settled. Anything else?"

"That's all. It will save trouble for both of us if you'll do that."

Garman dismissed the matter as settled with a nod, and gathered up his
reins.

"Doing anything next Sunday afternoon?"

Payne thought for a moment.

"Yes; next Sunday I'll be going down the river to Gumbo Key. The
ditching outfit that I've hired is due to arrive at the Key on Saturday
night. I promised to meet it and see it up the river. We'll start up
river Monday morning. I'll be on that dredger all the way up, Garman.

"Don't waste your time. There'll be no interference. In fact, if she
needs help you can borrow the old Cormorant for a tugboat."

"No, thanks. They do their own towing."

"All right. But there's no sense of your going down there and wasting
your whole Sunday on Gumbo Key. I suppose you'd do that; prejudice
against breaking the Sabbath and all that? I thought so; it goes with
the illusions. But there's no need for it this time--and I've been
specially ordered to invite you down to my little place for Sunday
afternoon. If you knew who issued the order you'd come, I know. It
will be sort of an affair to welcome you to our midst. Better come,
Payne; besides somebody you want to meet properly, there'll be a
certain man there you ought to meet. Sunday afternoon."

"Will Mrs. Livingstone be there?"

"Pooh! Pay no attention to that. She'll be tamed by Sunday. Come
about two. In the evening if you wish I'll have t