mber my name, Senator. You have too many
large affairs to occupy your mind. It was merely about some land down
here. I've meant for some time to write you and thank you for
influencing me to buy the land down here."

"What!" cried the girl, and stood dumb, staring at Payne, with a hand
pressed to her lips.

"Influence you?" snapped Fairclothe testily. "How could I influence
you? You are no child. The buyer must protect himself. It is the
first rule of business."

"Nevertheless, you did influence me. It was your letters that caused
me to decide to buy. And I want to thank you, because otherwise I
would not be where I stand at present."

The Senator tugged at his beard, watching Payne narrowly, suspicious of
some trick.

"Any letters I may have written to you--which I do not remember
doing--were merely a formal part of one phase of my activities. It is
gratifying, of course, to hear you express your satisfaction. On the
other hand, as I said, the oldest law in business is 'Let the buyer
beware,' and it would not have disturbed me in the least, young man,
had you appeared with a poppycock song of dissatisfaction with your
purchase."

"But I am satisfied," insisted Payne. "Some of the land I bought for
$30 an acre will be worth $200 when the ditcher gets in and we drain
it. It's rich, black muck, three feet deep in spots. I see profit of
$100 an acre within a year."

"Hm," said Senator Fairclothe. "As much as that?"

"That's the minimum."

"You will make a hundred dollars on our land--the land you've
purchased, I should say?"

"As soon as I get it drained, yes, sir."

Senator Fairclothe tugged again at his beard. There was a new look in
his eyes as he revolved over and over again the words, "one hundred
dollars profit per acre." Payne had purchased a thousand acres from
his company. A hundred times a thousand meant a hundred thousand
dollars.

"I am glad to hear you say that," he said finally. "I hope you will
dig your drainage ditches soon?"

"The ditch contractor will come up the river to-morrow. It won't take
long after he gets to work."

"I am glad to hear that, too. If I can do anything to assist you in
getting your drainage work done, pray command me."

"Just what I told him, Senator," boomed Garman's voice behind them.
"We want to help him get his improvement work done promptly."

Garman stood leaning against the custard-apple tree which had hidden
his approach and looked a