t car for my own
use. I've got to go to Starlight to-morrow."

"Sit down," said McCoppet, throwing away his unsmoked cigar and taking
another from his pocket. "What's going on at Starlight?"

Bostwick had no intention of divulging his personal affairs, but there
was something in this that trenched upon "company" concerns.

"Van Buren's going over there, to see young Kent," he admitted. "I've
got to see him first."

McCoppet looked up at him sharply.

"Young Kent ain't next to anything?" he demanded.

"Not yet."

"Look here," said the gambler, whose wits were inordinately keen, "is
anything leaking, Bostwick? What about the girl--the young chump's
sister? You're not putting her wise to the layout?"

"Certainly not!" said Bostwick. "She knows nothing. But it wouldn't
be safe for this mix-up to occur. At any rate, I propose to be there
when Van Buren arrives."

McCoppet arose, plunged his hands in his pockets, and paced up and down
reflectively.

"Someways I'm glad Van Buren's going," he said. "I've been trying to
figure how I could play the game to have him away when we come to take
the trick. He's hostile in a fight. I guess it's all right. Don't
need you here. You can copper any possible harm down there at
Starlight, and meantime I'll see if there's any known way of delaying
Van Buren's return."

"But how am I going to get down there and back?" said Bostwick, intent
upon the need for haste. "I can't get around without a car."

"Don't get tropical," said McCoppet calmly. "I can get you a car in
fifteen minutes. It ain't as good as yours, but we needed the one that
was surest to keep on its legs. If you ain't got anything more on your
mind, I want to chase around for a lumberman--a friend of mine--before
he gits any drunker."

Bostwick arose.

"Arrange for that car to take me to-night, after dinner. I think
that's all."

He repaired to his room to attend to a dozen small affairs, then went
once more to Beth's. She was not in the least surprised to hear him
say he meant to return to Starlight and to Glen that night, on business
of importance to them all, but she did not believe him in the least.
He remained in the hope of entrapping her into some sort of
self-betrayal as to what she had recently done, but without avail.

The hour that he spent at Mrs. Dick's was dull for them both--dull and
distasteful to the girl, growing so rapidly to hate and distrust him,
dull and aggravating to