my hand, and I have no international interests 'reaching from the
Yukon to the Plate,' but--I stand all right in little old Dallas.
I'm the V. P. of our biggest jewelry house, and business is
great." After their order had been given, he recited in greater
detail the nature of his success.

Gray was interested. "Texas is booming," he said, at the
conclusion of the story. "I'm told the new oil towns are something
like our old mining camps."

"Except that they are more so. The same excitement, the same quick
fortunes, only quicker and larger. Believe me, it's fine for the
jewelry business. Look here." Coverly drew from his pocket a
letter written in a painfully cramped hand upon cheap note paper,
and this he spread out for his companion to read. "There's an
example in point."

The letter, which bore the Ranger postmark, ran as follows:

DERE SIR--Your store has bin rekomend to me for dimons and I
want some for my wife and dauter. Send me prises on rings of
large sises.

Yours truley GUS BRISKOW.

"Um-m! Who is Mr. Briskow?"

Coverly shrugged. "Probably some nester who never saw a hundred
dollars all in one place until recently. When they strike oil,
they buy diamonds, nice large yellow ones, as a rule; then as the