r the thought had occurred to him that possibly through her he might
get some information regarding Houston.

"Ah," he said now, seating himself at a little distance from her, and
with a glance at the book which she had closed and laid aside, "I fear
I have interrupted your reading."

"I was not reading," she replied, "I was merely glancing over a book
of Miss Gladden's while awaiting her return."

For a few moments he talked in a light, frivolous manner, but Lyle,
suspicious of some ulterior motive in his coming, did not respond very
favorably to his efforts at conversation. At last he said, very
pleasantly:

"This is a favorite resort of yours, is it not, Miss Maverick?"

"Yes, I come here frequently," she replied.

"I judged so," he continued carelessly, "I saw you out here the
evening the eastern party was at the house, and I remember the English
expert and his friend took a walk in this direction, with Mr. Houston.
I suppose they were talking over the mine they had looked at, and
took Mr. Houston along thinking he might be able to give them any
additional information they needed. I wonder what they thought about
that mine," he added, watching Lyle, "I suppose you must have
overheard some of their conversation."

Lyle was not taken off guard, however, and answered indifferently, "I
heard voices, but I was so absorbed in thought I paid little attention
to them; it was some time before I even recognized them."

"But you certainly must have overheard some of their conversation,"
said Haight, in his smoothest tones, "can you not recall anything said
about the mine?"

"There was nothing whatever said about the mine," she replied, "and if
there had been, I am not in the habit of listening to conversations
and repeating them."

"Of course not, under ordinary circumstances," Haight rejoined,
smiling, "but you know 'all is fair in love and war' and in mining
deals, and as I am interested in behalf of the company, and we
have, as yet, heard nothing from the party, you see I naturally had
a little curiosity regarding their conversation that evening. You
are sure they said nothing of the mine, or that Mr. Houston gave
them no information?"

Lyle rose, her eyes flashing with scorn and indignation, as she
replied, "Why should Mr. Houston give them any information? As I have
told you, there was nothing said about the mine; so far as I could
judge, the gentlemen were talking of their own personal affairs; and
it is f