ent, finally to resolve
into:

Mr. Robert Fairchild,
Ohadi, Colorado.

Dear Sir;

I am empowered by a client whose name I am not at liberty to state, to
make you an offer of $50,000. for your property in Clear Creek County,
known as the Blue Poppy mine. In replying, kindly address your letter
to

Box 180, Denver, Colo.

Harry whistled long and thoughtfully.

"That's a 'ole lot of money!"

"An awful lot, Harry. But why was the offer made? There 's nothing to
base it on. There 's--"

Then for a moment, as they stepped out of the post-office, he gave up
the thought, even of comparative riches. Twenty feet away, a man and a
girl were approaching, talking as though there never had been the
slightest trouble between them. They crossed the slight alleyway, and
she laid her hand on his arm, almost caressingly, Fairchild thought,
and he stared hard as though in unbelief of their identity. But it was
certain. It was Maurice Rodaine and Anita Richmond; they came closer,
her eyes turned toward Fairchild, and then--

She went on, without speaking, without taking the trouble to notice,
apparently, that he had been standing there.

CHAPTER XII

After this, there was little conversation until Harry and Fairchild had
reached the boarding house. Then, with Mother Howard for an adviser,
the three gathered in the old parlor, and Fairchild related the events
of the night before, adding what had happened at the post-office, when
Anita had passed him without speaking. Mother Howard, her arms folded
as usual, bobbed her gray head.

"It's like her, Son," she announced at last. "She 's a good girl. I
've known her ever since she was a little tad not big enough to walk.
And she loves her father."

"But--"

"She loves her father. Is n't that enough? The Rodaines have the
money--and they have almost everything that Judge Richmond owns. It's
easy enough to guess what they 've done with it--tied it up so that he
can't touch it until they 're ready for him to do it. And they 're not
going to do that until they 've gotten what they want."

"Which is--?"

"Anita! Any fool ought to be able to know that. Of course," she added
with an acrid smile, "persons that are so head over heels in love
themselves that they can't see ten feet in front of them would n't be
able to understand it--but other people can. The Rodaines know they
can't do anything directly with Anita. She would n't stand for it.
She 's