nterest, so he told me, in a new steel company up in the Cumberland
Mountains, somewhere near your property, I believe. He may know
something of what's going on, if anything is going on."

Jack's eyes blazed. Something going on! Suppose that after all he and
Ruth would not have to wait. Peter read his thoughts and laid his hand
on Jack's wrist:

"Keep your toes on the earth, my boy:--no balloon ascensions and no
bubbles,--none of your own blowing. They are bad things to have burst in
your hands--four hands now, remember, with Ruth's. If there's any money
in your Cumberland ore bank, it will come to light without your help.
Keep still and say nothing, and don't you sign your name to a piece of
paper as big as a postage stamp until you let me see it."

Here Peter looked at his watch and rose from the table.

"Time's up, my boy. I never allow myself but an hour at luncheon, and
I am due at the bank in ten minutes. Thank you, Auguste,--and Auguste!
please tell Botti the spaghetti was delicious. Come, Jack."

It was when he held Ruth in his arms that same afternoon--behind the
door, really,--she couldn't wait until they reached the room,--that
Jack whispered in her astonished and delighted ears the good news of the
expected check from Garry's committee.

"And daddy won't lose anything; and he can take the new work!" she
cried joyously. "And we can all go up to the mountains together! Oh,
Jack!--let me run and tell daddy!"

"No, my darling,--not a word, Garry had no business to tell me what he
did; and it might leak out and get him into trouble:--No, don't say a
word. It is only a few days off. We shall all know next week."

He had led her to the sofa, their favorite seat.

"And now I am going to tell you something that would be a million times
better than Garry's check if it were only true,--but it isn't."

"Tell me, Jack,--quick!" Her lips were close to his.

"Uncle Arthur wants to buy my ore lands."

"Buy your--And we are going to be--married right away! Oh, you darling
Jack!"

"Wait,--wait, my precious, until I tell you!" She did not wait, and he
did not want her to. Only when he could loosen her arms from his neck
did he find her ear again, then he poured into it the rest of the story.

"But, oh, Jack!--wouldn't it be lovely if it were true,--and just think
of all the things we could do."

"Yes,--but it Isn't true."

"But just suppose it WAS, Jack! You would have a horse of your own and
we'd build the