o to lease. I hadn't much, only a
horse and saddle and a couple of hundred dollars, but we formed a
partnership."

"That was before my brother came into the firm."

Kelley recovered himself. "Yes; you see, he came in a little later--when
we needed a little ready cash."

She seemed satisfied, but as they went into the mine she listened
closely to all that Kelley and Stoddard said. Stoddard's remarks were
safe, for he never so much as mentioned Kelley's name. It was all "I"
with old Hank--"I did this" and "I did that"--till Florence said to
Kelley:

"You junior partners in this mine don't seem to be anything but
'company' for Mr. Stoddard."

"Hank always was a bit conceited," admitted Kelley. "But then, he is a
real, sure-enough miner. We are only 'capitalists.'"

"Where did Fred get all the signs of toil on his trousers and boots?"
she asked, with dancing eyes.

"Oh, he works--part of the time."

She peered into his face with roguish glance. "Does it all with his
legs, I guess. I notice his hands are soft as mine."

Kelley nearly collapsed. "Good Lord!" he thought. "You ought to be a
female detective." He came to the line gamely. "Well, there's a good
deal of running to be done, and we let him do the outside messenger
work."

"His sunburn seems quite recent. And his trousers don't fit as his
trousers usually do. He used to be finicky about such things."

"A feller does get kind of careless up here in the hills," Kelley
argued.

They did not stay long in the mine, for there wasn't much to see. It was
a very small mine--and walking made the mother short of breath. And so
they came back to the office and Hank arranged seats on some
dynamite-boxes and a keg of spikes, and then left them to talk things
over.

"I'm so glad you're up here--where it's so clean and quiet," said the
mother. "I'm told these mining towns are dreadful, almost barbaric, even
yet. Of course they're not as they were in Bret Harte's time, but they
are said to be rough and dangerous. I hope you don't have to go down
there often."

"Of course I have to go, mother. We get all our supplies and our mail
down there."

"I suppose that's true. But Mr. Kelley seems such a strong, capable
person"--here she whispered--"but I don't think much of your other
partner, Mr. Stoddard."

"Who? Old Hank? Why, he's steady as a clock. He looks rough, but he's
the kindest old chap on the hill. Why, he's scared to death of you and
Flo--"

"He has the a