heavy watch chain across his chest, and a very brilliant
seal ring of lapis lazuli on the hand that grasped mine. He saw me
looking at it and smiled.

"My dear fellow, we have deposits of that stuff that would make a
fortune if we could get the machinery to get at it. Why, sir, there is
lapis lazuli enough on our claim to make enough ultramarine paint to
supply all the artists to the end of the world. Actually we could afford
to crush it up and sell it as paint. And that is merely incidental to
the other things on the concession. The asphalt's the thing. That's
where the big money is. When we get started, sir, the old asphalt trust
will simply melt away, melt away."

He blew a cloud of tobacco smoke and let it dissolve significantly in
the air.

When it came to talking about the suits, however, Vanderdyke was not
so communicative as Mrs. Ralston, but he was also not so bitter against
either the post-office or Templeton.

"Poor Templeton," he said. "I used to know him years ago when we were
boys. Went to school with him and all that sort of thing, you know,
but until I ran across him, or rather he ran across me, in this
investigation I hadn't heard much about him. Pretty clever fellow he
was, too. The state will miss him, but my lawyer tells me that we
should have won the suit anyhow, even if that unfortunate tragedy hadn't
occurred. Most unaccountable, wasn't it? I've read about it in the
papers for old time's sake, and can make nothing out of it."

I said nothing, but wondered how he could pass so lightheartedly over
the death of the woman who had once been his wife. However, I said
nothing. The result was he launched forth again on the riches of his
Venezuelan concession and loaded me down with "literature," which I
crammed into my pocket for future reference.

My next step was to drop into the office of a Spanish-America paper
whose editor was especially well informed on South American affairs.

"Do I know Mrs. Ralston?" he repeated, thoughtfully lighting one of
those black cigarettes that look so vicious and are so mild. "I should
say so. I'll tell you a little story about her. Three or four years
ago she turned up in Caracas. I don't know who Mr. Ralston was--perhaps
there never was any Mr. Ralston. Anyhow, she got in with the official
circle of the Castro government and was very successful as an
adventuress. She has considerable business ability and represented
a certain group of Americans. But, if you rec