E-text prepared by Al Haines Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 24696-h.htm or 24696-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/4/6/9/24696/24696-h/24696-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/4/6/9/24696/24696-h.zip) THE DAUGHTER OF A MAGNATE by FRANK H. SPEARMAN Author of Whispering Smith, Doctor Bryson, Etc. [Frontispiece: Gertrude used her glass constantly.] Grosset & Dunlap Publishers : : New York Copyright, 1903, by Charles Scribner's Sons Published, October, 1903 To WESLEY HAMILTON PECK, M.D. CONTENTS CHAP. I. A JUNE WATER II. AN ERROR AT HEADQUARTERS III. INTO THE MOUNTAINS IV. AS THE DESPATCHER SAW V. AN EMERGENCY CALL VI. THE CAT AND THE RAT VII. TIME BEING MONEY VIII. SPLITTING THE PAW IX. A TRUCE X. AND A SHOCK XI. IN THE LALLA ROOKH XII. A SLIP ON A SPECIAL XIII. BACK TO THE MOUNTAINS XIV. GLEN TARN XV. NOVEMBER XVI. NIGHT XVII. STORM XVIII. DAYBREAK XIX. SUSPENSE XX. DEEPENING WATERS XXI. PILOT XXII. THE SOUTH ARETE XXIII. BUSINESS The Daughter of a Magnate CHAPTER I A JUNE WATER The train, a special, made up of a private car and a diner, was running on a slow order and crawled between the bluffs at a snail's pace. Ahead, the sun was sinking into the foothills and wherever the eye could reach to the horizon barren wastes lay riotously green under the golden blaze. The river, swollen everywhere out of its banks, spread in a broad and placid flood of yellow over the bottoms, and a hundred shallow lakes studded with willowed islands marked its wandering course to the south and east. The clear, far air of the mountains, the glory of the gold on the June hills and the illimitable stretch of waters below, spellbound the group on the observation platform. "It's a pity, too," declared Conductor O'Brien, who was acting as mountain Baedeker, "that we're held back this way when we're covering the prettiest stretch on the road for running. It is right along here where you are riding that the speed records of the world have been made. Fourteen and six-tenths miles were done in nine and a half minutes just west of that curve about six months ago--of course it was down hill." Several of the party were listening. "Do you use speed recorders out here?" asked Allen Harrison. "How's that?" "Do you use speed recorders?"