"What!" he could hardly believe his ears. "By the Lord Harry! the fellow
is crazy. Six hundred and fifty then, you infernal robber."

"No."

"NO! Say, what in thunder do you mean?"

"I mean that you may go to the devil," I retorted, and reached for the
door knob.

But before my fingers touched it there was the sound of laughter and
voices in the hall. The knob was turned from without. I stepped back and
to one side involuntarily, as the door opened and into the library
came, not the butler, but a young lady, a girl in an automobile coat and
bonnet. And, following her, a young man.

"Father," said the young lady, "Johnson says you've bought that horrid
road. I'm so glad! When did you do it?"

"Congratulations, Mr. Colton," said the young man. "We just passed a
cart full of something--seaweed, I believe it was--as we came along with
the car. Oscar had to slow down to squeeze by, and we certainly were
swept by ocean breezes. By Jove! I can smell them yet. I--"

The young lady interrupted him.

"Hush, Victor," she said. "I beg your pardon, Father. I thought you were
alone. Victor, we're intruding."