spring."

The next moment the chauffeur threw open the limousine door, and the
delegate stepped out; but he lingered a little over his good-by, retaining
his wife's hand, which he continued to shake slowly, while his eyes
telegraphed an answer to the question in hers. Then, laughing again
deeply, he said: "My lady! My lady! Nature juggled; she played your
brother Frederic a trick when she set that mind in your woman's head."

CHAPTER III

FOSTER TOO

The apartment Tisdale called home was in a high corner of the Alaska
building, where the western windows, overtopping other stone and brick
blocks of the business center, commanded the harbor, caught like a faceted
jewel between Duwamish Head and Magnolia Bluff, and a far sweep of the
outer Sound set in wooded islands and the lofty snow peaks of the Olympic
peninsula. Next to his summer camp in the open he liked this eyrie, and
particularly he liked it at this hour of the night tide. He drew his chair
forward where the stiff, salt wind blew full in his face, but Foster, who
had found the elevator not running and was somewhat heated by his long
climb to the "summit," took the precaution of choosing a sheltered place
near the north window, which was closed. A shaded electric lamp cast a
ring of light on the package he had laid on the table between them, but
the rest of the room was in shadow, and from his seat he glanced down on
the iridescent sign displays of Second Avenue, then followed the lines of
street globes trailing away to the brilliant constellations set against
the blackness of Queen Anne hill.

"She is to be out of town a week," he said, "and I hardly liked to leave
Weatherbee's things with a hotel clerk; since I am sailing on the _Admiral
Sampson_ tonight, I brought the package back. You will have to be your own
messenger."

"That's all right, Foster; I can find another when she returns. I'll ask
Banks."

"No." Foster's glance came back from the street; his voice rang a little
sharp. "Take it yourself, Hollis."

"I can trust it with Banks." Tisdale paused a moment, still looking out on
the harbor lights and the stars, then said: "So you are going north again;
back to the copper mine, I presume?"

"No, I shall be there later, but I expect to make a quick trip in to the
Iditarod now, to look over placer properties. The syndicate has bonded
Banks' claims and, if it is feasible, a dredger will be sent in next
spring to begin operations on a big sca