and I'm sure you don't either."

The girl turned cold, but she held her head bravely.

"Your father wishes it, you know," added Canler.

"Yes, I know."

She spoke scarcely above a whisper.

"Do you realize that you are buying me, Mr. Canler?" she said finally,
and in a cold, level voice. "Buying me for a few paltry dollars? Of
course you do, Robert Canler, and the hope of just such a contingency
was in your mind when you loaned papa the money for that hair-brained
escapade, which but for a most mysterious circumstance would have been
surprisingly successful.

"But you, Mr. Canler, would have been the most surprised. You had no
idea that the venture would succeed. You are too good a businessman
for that. And you are too good a businessman to loan money for buried
treasure seeking, or to loan money without security--unless you had
some special object in view.

"You knew that without security you had a greater hold on the honor of
the Porters than with it. You knew the one best way to force me to
marry you, without seeming to force me.

"You have never mentioned the loan. In any other man I should have
thought that the prompting of a magnanimous and noble character. But
you are deep, Mr. Robert Canler. I know you better than you think I
know you.

"I shall certainly marry you if there is no other way, but let us
understand each other once and for all."

While she spoke Robert Canler had alternately flushed and paled, and
when she ceased speaking he arose, and with a cynical smile upon his
strong face, said:

"You surprise me, Jane. I thought you had more self-control--more
pride. Of course you are right. I am buying you, and I knew that you
knew it, but I thought you would prefer to pretend that it was
otherwise. I should have thought your self respect and your Porter
pride would have shrunk from admitting, even to yourself, that you were
a bought woman. But have it your own way, dear girl," he added
lightly. "I am going to have you, and that is all that interests me."

Without a word the girl turned and left the room.

Jane was not married before she left with her father and Esmeralda for
her little Wisconsin farm, and as she coldly bid Robert Canler goodby
as her train pulled out, he called to her that he would join them in a
week or two.

At their destination they were met by Clayton and Mr. Philander in a
huge touring car belonging to the former, and quickly whirled away
through the d