ud that
had followed a sharp blast to the north of them, Steve felt the weight
of Allison's questioning glance.

"We," he echoed. "Where do I figure in it?"

The younger man's upward glance was seemingly surprised.

"You? Why, you're a stockholder. It means as much to you as it does
to Mr. Ainnesley and Mr. Elliott."

Allison interrupted him.

"Of course," he exclaimed. "Surely! I see! What I mean was how in
the world can I make them understand that such a fool idea is all
wrong? So far as this constructive work is concerned, I'm not an
active member. I--I had that understood with Elliott when I went into
this thing!"

"Of course," Steve in turn broke in. "I understand that. But they
know you; they know that Morrison would be nothing more than a street
of well-kept lawns and cow-pastures, if you hadn't seen its
possibilities. And so I've already told some of them, Mr. Allison;
I've gone even further, and given a lot of them my word that you'll
guarantee, yourself, that this is the biggest thing for the good of
this section that has yet happened."

The speaker smiled frankly into the bigger man's eyes.

"And that was all they needed, was it?" Allison queried, at length.
"That fixed it, did it?"

"Absolutely!" Steve's cheeriness should have been infectious.
"Absolutely, Mr. Allison. A lot of people have come to look on your
word as law in this country, you know--a lot of them!"

"Hum-m-m," replied Allison. "Hum-m-m."

Both of them were quiet for a time. Steve's next remark brought
Allison's head up sharply.

"I meant to bring some of my estimates and plans down with me, when I
came," he told him. "You spoke of wanting to run over the whole
proposition with me, you'll remember, the first day you arrived."

Allison nodded shortly.

"I remember."

"I'll bring them, next trip," Steve finished. "I came so near to
losing them last night that I'm taking no chances until they're in
duplicate. We can run over them later?"

Allison wheeled and gazed meditatingly toward the group who were slowly
moving their way. His daughter Barbara, with Wickersham at her side,
was in the lead.

"Any time," he agreed. "There's no particular hurry."

And then a moment later, just when she was beginning to wonder whether
he was purposely avoiding her, Barbara was surprised at the calm ease
with which Steve took her away from her tall escort. She had noticed
that Wickersham and Steve had not touched hands