and was that what you and Mr. Dawson wanted to talk about?" said the
astonished Rose.

"Mainly, my dear, mainly. You see I'm a capitalist now, and the
real value of capital is to know how and when to apply it to certain
conditions."

"And this Mr.--Mr. Bent--do you think--he will go on and find the water,
papa?" said Rose, hesitatingly.

"Ah! Bent--Tom Bent--oh, yes," said Mallory, with great heartiness.
"Capital fellow, Bent! and mighty ingenious! Glad you met him! Well,"
thoughtfully but still heartily, "he may not find it exactly where he
expected, but he'll find it or something better. We can't part with him,
and he has promised Dawson to stay. We'll utilize HIM, you may be sure."

It would seem that they did, and from certain interviews and
conversations that took place between Mr. Bent and Miss Mallory on
a later visit, it would also appear that her father had exercised
a discreet reticence in regard to a certain experiment of the young
inventor, of which he had been an accidental witness.




A MAECENAS OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE


CHAPTER I