"Fair enough," said Conward, well pleased that Dave should be impressed by his generosity. "Fair enough," he repeated. "It's just ten per cent. of my profit." "You mean you made a thousand dollars on that deal?" "Exactly that. And that will look like a peanut to what we are going to make later on." "We?" "Yes. You and me. We're going into partnership." "But I've nothing to invest. I've only a very little saved up." "Invest that hundred." Dave looked at Conward sharply. Was he trifling? No; his eyes were frank and serious. "You mean it?" "Of course. Now, I'll put you on to something, and it's the biggest thing that has been pulled off yet. There's a section of land lying right against the city limits that is owned by a fellow over in England; remittance man who fell heir to an estate and had to go home to spend it. Well, he has been paying taxes ever since, and is tired of the 'bally rawnch'; besides, he is busy keeping his property in England reasonably well spent. I am arranging through a London office to offer him ten dollars an acre, and I'll bet he jumps at it. I've arranged for the necessary credits, but there will be some expenses for cables, etc., and you can put your hundred into that. If we pull it off--and we will pull it off--we start up in business as Conward & Elden, or Elden & Conward, which ever sounds better. Boy, there's a fortune in it." "What do you figure it's worth?" said Dave, trying to speak easily. "Twenty-five dollars an acre?" "Twenty-five dollars an acre!" Conward shouted. "Dave, newspaper routine has killed your imagination, little as one would expect such a result, from some of the things the papers print. Twenty-five dollars an acre! Listen! "The city boundaries are to be extended--probably will be by the time this deal goes through. Then it is city property. A street railway system is to be built, and we'll see that it runs through our land. We may have to 'grease' somebody, but it's a poor engineer that saves on grease. Then we'll survey that section into twenty-five foot lots--and we'll sell them at two hundred dollars each for those nearest the city down to one hundred for those farthest out--average one hundred and fifty, total nine hundred and sixty thousand dollars. Allow say sixty thousand for 'grease' and there is still nine hundred thousand, and that doesn't count re-sale commissions. Dave, it's good for a cool million. And that is just the beginning. It will give us a standing that will make anything possible." Dave was doing rapid thinking. Suddenly he faced Conward, and their eyes met. "Conward," he said, "why do you put this up to me?" "What d'ye mean?" "You don't need my little hundred to put this over. Why do you let me in on it?" Conward smiled and breathed easily. There had been a moment of tension.