glance rested solemnly upon her father's face. "Well, if we
all feel happy to-morrow night I see no objection," he answered. "I
fear for your father, Miss Kay. Have you told him of my plans for
depleting his worldly wealth?"

She flushed a little and answered in the affirmative.

"How does the idea strike you, Mr. Parker?"

John Parker grinned--the superior grin of one who knows his superior
strength, "Like a great many principles that are excellent in theory,
your plan will not work in practice."

"No?"

"No."

For the second time that day Kay saw Don Mike's face light up with that
insouciant boyish smile.

Then he skipped blithely across the garden thrumming the guitar and
singing:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the
coming of the Lord!

At seven o'clock next morning, while Miguel Farrel was shaving, John
Parker came to his door, knocked, and without further ado came into the
room.

"Farrel," he began, briskly, "I do not relish your way of doing
business. Where are the spark plugs of my two cars?"

"My dear man, I haven't taken them, so why do you ask me? I am not
flattered at your blunt hint that I would so far forget my position as
host as to steal the spark plugs from my guest's automobiles."

"I beg your pardon. Somebody took them and naturally I jumped to the
conclusion that you were the guilty party."

Don Mike shaved in silence.

"Do you know who removed those spark plugs, Mr. Farrel?"

"Yes, sir, I do."

"Who did it?"

"Bill Conway. He came by last night and concluded it would be better
to make quite certain that you remained away from El Toro until about
nine-thirty o'clock this morning. It was entirely Bill's idea. I did
not suggest it to him, directly or indirectly. He's old enough to roll
his own hoop. He had a complaint in action drawn up against you last
night; it will be filed at nine o'clock this morning and immediately
thereafter your bank account and your stock in the First National Bank
of El Toro will be attached. Of course you will file a bond to lift
the attachment, but Bill will have your assets where he can levy on
them when he gets round to collecting on the judgment which he will
secure against you unless you proceed with the contract for that dam."

"And this is Conway's work entirely?"

"Yes, sir."

"It's clever work. I'm sorry it wasn't yours. May I have the loan of
a saddle horse--Panchito or the gray?"

"Not to ride either of them,