"I'm positive of it, Jessie. The more I see of the profession, the more I am in love with it. It's a wonderful thing. Just think of being able to plan out a great big bridge across a broad river, or some wonderful dam, or a tall sky-scraper, or an elevated railroad, or a tunnel under a gigantic mountain, or a tube under some river, or--" "Oh, my gracious me, Dave! are you going to do all those wonderful things?" gasped the girl, her eyes opening widely. "I don't expect I'll ever have the chance to do all those things, Jessie; but I'm going to try my best to do some of them. Of course, you must remember that at the present time civil engineering is divided into a great many branches. Now, for instance, I didn't mention anything about mining engineering, and that's a wonderful profession in itself." "Oh, Dave! it's wonderful--simply wonderful!" cried the girl. "And you are going to be a wonderful man--I know it!" and she looked earnestly into his eyes. "If I ever do get to be a wonderful man, it's going to be on your account, Jessie," he returned in a low voice. "You have been my inspiration. Don't forget that;" and he drew her closer than before. "Oh, Dave!" "It's true, Jessie. And I only hope that I'll make good--and that too before I am very much older. Then I think you already know what I am going to do?" "What?" she whispered, and dropped her eyes. "I am going to ask your folks for your hand in marriage," he continued firmly, reading his answer in her face. Word had come in from Roger that he too was getting ready to go to Texas, and that both of the youths were to work together, as had been anticipated. As the senator's son was in Washington, it was arranged that Dave was to join him in the Capitol City, and then the two were to journey to Texas. Ben had heard about Dave's proposed departure for the South, and he came over several times to see his former Oak Hall chum before the latter left home. "Any news regarding the miniatures?" questioned Dave, during the last of these visits. "Not much," answered the real estate dealer's son. "The police thought they had one or two clues, but they have all turned out to be false. They arrested one fellow in Pittsburgh, thinking he was Tim Crapsey, but he turned out to be somebody else." "Then they haven't any word at all about Ward Porton?" "No, that rascal seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth." "How is your father getting along, Ben?" "He isn't doing so well, Dave. This loss of the miniatures was a terrible blow to him. You see, the real estate business lately has not been quite as good as it might be. My father went into several pretty heavy investments, and he needed a little more money to help him through. So when he got word about this fortune in pictures, he at once thought that he could sell some of the miniatures and use the proceeds in his real estate deals. Now that end of the business is at a standstill."