arged up to the owners,
themselves."

Miss Grierson was still examining the picture. "You made two of these
prints?" she asked.

"Yes; here's the other one--and the film."

"And you have the papers to make them effective?"

Broffin handed her a large envelope, unsealed. "You'll find 'em in
there. That part of it was a cinch. Your governor ought to fire that man
Murray. He was payin' Clancy in checks!"

Again Miss Grierson nodded.

"About the other matter?" she inquired. "Have you heard from your
messenger?"

Broffin produced another envelope. It had been through the mails and
bore the Duluth postmark.

"Affidavits was the best we could do there," he said. "My man worked it
to go with MacFarland as the driver of the rig. They saw some mighty
fine timber, but it happened to be on the wrong side of the St. Louis
County line. He's a tolerably careful man, and he verified the
landmarks."

"Affidavits will do," was the even-toned rejoinder. Then: "These papers
are all in duplicate?"

"Everything in pairs--just as you ordered."

Miss Grierson took an embroidered chamois-skin money-book from her bosom
and began to open it. Broffin raised his hand.

"Not any more," he objected. "You overpaid me that first evening in
front of the Winnebago."

"You needn't hesitate," she urged. "It's my own money."

"I've had a-plenty."

"Enough so that we can call it square?"

"Yes, and more than enough."

"Then I can only thank you," she said, rising.

He knew that he was being dismissed, but the one chance in a thousand
had yet to be tested.

"Just a minute, Miss Grierson," he begged. "I've done you right in this
business, haven't I?"

"You have."

"I said I didn't want any more money, and I don't. But there's one other
thing. Do you know what I'm here in this little jay town of yours for?"

"Yes; I have known it for a long time."

"I thought so. You knew it that day out at the De Soto, when you was
tellin' Mr. Raymer a little story that was partly true and partly made
up--what?"

"And when you were sitting behind the window curtains listening," she
laughed. "Yes; I knew it then. What about it?"

"I've been wonderin' as I set here, if there was anything on the top
side of God's green earth that'd persuade you to tell me how much o'
that story was made up."

She was smiling deliciously when she said: "You are from the South, Mr.
Broffin, and I didn't suppose a Southerner could be so unchivalrous as
to suspec