temples.

"Look here, Bourke," he blustered. "You've been listening to some fool
talk from that cub, Westlake. I know my business. You've got some stock
in the mine, twenty-five per cent. I've put money and brains into it and
I've got forty-nine per cent. Molly...."

"If you _had_ fo'ty-nine per cent. I wouldn't be worryin' so much."

"What the devil do you mean?"

"I took you fo' a betteh gambler than to git mad," said Sandy. "I'll
jest ask you a question on behalf of myse'f an' partners' twenty-five
per cent., an' Molly's twenty-six, me bein' her guardian. Plump an'
plain, is the Molly pinched out?"

Keith hesitated, struggled to control himself.

"Save me a trip over to Casey Town, mebbe," Sandy added.

"I got mad just now, Bourke, because of the interference of a man I
fired for lack of common sense, experience and recognition of his
superiors. Westlake is a hot-head and I suppose he has some idea of
trying to get even with me by belittling me in your eyes and running
down my management. I think I have shown my interests allied with yours.
Mrs. Keith and I."

"She don't come into this. You didn't answer my question, Keith. How
about it?"

"It's a damned falsehood."

"Then why are you sellin' your stock?"

The words came like bullets as Sandy whipped the certificate out of the
envelope and slapped it smartly on the desk. Keith whitened, flushed
again, recovered himself.

"If I was not friendly to you, Bourke, I should take that as a direct
insult. I can understand that you believe in Westlake and take stock in
what he told you. But he is a discharged employee. He has every
reason...."

Sandy held up his hand.

"He's a friend of mine," he said. "Keith, I may not know the minin'
game--as you play it. In some ways it's gamblin', like playin' poker.
I've played that a heap. I can tell pritty well when a man's bluffin'.
Mebbe you're losin' some of yore nerve lately. You show it in yore face.
Yore eyes flickered when you said it was a 'damned falsehood.' I don't
hanker to insult a man but--I don't believe you. An' here's this stock
you sold. I've got the names of more you sold it to. Why?"

"A man in my position," said Keith slowly, "swings many big deals and
sometimes he is pushed for ready money."

"I reckon that's the reason," said Sandy dryly. "Well, you've got to git
it some other way. You've got to buy these stocks back, Keith. I control
the big end of the stock in the Molly. If I have to go to t