smile.

"Yes, I _can_ hear," she admitted quietly, "but I'll have to ask you
not to tell. Why, Mr. Jepson and some of these people fairly shout
when they speak to me now."

She smiled again in such a cryptic manner that Rimrock became suddenly
aroused.

"Say, what's going on?" he cried, all excitement, "have you been
listening in on their schemes?"

"Why, Mr. Jones!" she exclaimed reproachfully but still with a twinkle
in her eye; and Rimrock leaned forward eagerly.

"Yes, that's my name," he answered, "go ahead and tell me what you
know."

"No, you wouldn't put it to the best of purposes--but hold this over
your ear." She held up the attachment to his ear and, as she ran up
the dial, she whispered:

"Do you think you could hear through a wall?"

"You bet!" replied Rimrock and as she took it away he gave her a
searching glance. "I wonder," he said, "if you're as innocent as you
look." And Mary broke down and laughed.

"I wonder," she observed, but when he questioned her further she only
shook her head.

"No, indeed," she said, "I won't tell you anything--but after you lose,
come around."

"No, but look!" he urged. "If I lose, you lose. Come through and tell
me now."

"You called me a crook," she answered spitefully, "you said I had sold
you out! Do you think I will tell you, after that? No, you're so
smart, go ahead--Spend your money! Hire a lot of lawyers and experts!
You think I sold you out to Stoddard? Well, go ahead--_you_ try to buy
me! No, I'm going to show you, Mr. Rimrock Jones, that I have never
sold out to anybody--that I can't be bought, nor sold. You need that
lesson more than you need the money that you are wasting in vice and
fraud."

She ended, panting with the anger that swept over her, and Rimrock
thrust out his chin.

"Huh! Vice and fraud!" he repeated scornfully, "you certainly don't
hunt for words. Is it vice and fraud to hire lawyers and experts and
try to win back my own mine? What do you want me to do--go and kow-tow
to Stoddard and ask him to please step on my neck?"

"No, I want you to do what you're going to do--spend the Company's
money, and lose. That money is part mine, but I'll be glad to part
with it if it will cure you of being such a fool."

They faced each other, each heated and angry, and then he showed his
teeth in a smile.

"I know what's the matter," he said at last, "you're jealous of Mrs.
Hardesty!"

She checked the denial that leapt to