is the chief witness against your partner. She also is in a position
to use those same good offices in another direction, so that there
might never be a grand jury investigation of the finding of a certain
body or skeleton, or something of the kind, in your mine--which, if you
will remember, brought about a very disagreeable situation. And
through her very good connections in another way, she is able to
relieve you of all your financial embarrassment and procure for you
from a certain eastern syndicate, the members of which I am not at
liberty to name, an offer of $200,000 for your mine. All that is
necessary for you to do is to say the word."

Fairchild leaned forward.

"And of course," he said caustically, "the name of this mysterious
feminine friend must be a secret?"

"Certainly. No mention of this transaction must be made to her
directly, or indirectly. Those are my specific instructions. Now, Mr.
Fairchild, that seems to me to be a wonderful offer. And it--"

"Do you want my answer now?"

"At any time when you have given the matter sufficient thought."

"That's been accomplished already. And there 's no need of waiting. I
want to thank you exceedingly for your offer, and to tell you--that you
can go straight to hell!"

And without looking back to see the result of his ultimatum, Fairchild
rose, strode to the door, unlocked it, and stamped down the hall. He
had taken snap judgment, but in his heart, he felt that he was right.
What was more, he was as sure as he was sure of life itself that Anita
Richmond had not arranged the interview and did not even know of it.
One streaking name was flitting through Fairchild's brain and causing
it to seethe with anger. Cleverly concealed though the plan might have
been, nicely arranged and carefully planted, to Robert Fairchild it all
stood out plainly and clearly--the Rodaines!

And yet why? That one little word halted Fairchild as he left the
elevator. Why should the Rodaines be willing to free him from all the
troubles into which his mining ventures had taken him, start him out
into the world and give him a fortune with which to make his way
forward? Why? What did they know about the Blue Poppy mine, when
neither he nor Harry had any idea of what the future might hold for
them there? Certainly they could not have investigated in the years
that were gone; the cave-in precluded that. There was no other tunnel,
no other means of determining the riche