Gloria made her purchases in fifteen minutes and the change from theatre gown into an olive outing-suit in another fifteen. Her discarded garments were gathered up, put into a cardboard box by the clerk, and wrapped in heavy paper to be stowed away in the car. She confronted Gratton smilingly in her new garb, her hands in her pockets, her face saucy, her slim body boyish in its swagger and richly feminine in its unhidden curves. Gratton's eyes shone, quick with admiration. She laughed and a flush came into her cheeks as he gravely paid for her clothing and his own. When they went to their car both were strangely silent. "I owe you a lot of money," she said with assumed carelessness. "Which I hope you never repay," he returned meaningly. At nine o'clock they were threading the streets of Sacramento. At a little after ten they were in Auburn. They drove through "Old Town," passed the courthouse and through the newer portion of the village; by the Freeman Hotel and the railroad-yards, through the "subway" under the tracks, and turned off to the right, leaving the highway for the first time and skirting the olive-orchards on the hill. Then, sweeping around a wide curve they caught the first glimpse of the American River deep down in its historic canon. On, over a narrow, red-dirt road, closer down to the gorge, across the long bridge, up and up the steep, writhing grade. They came to the top of the ridge; raced through Cool, through Lotus---- "Coloma!" gasped Gloria. "You are going to Coloma!" He slowed the car down that he might look at her keenly. "Well?" he said lightly. "It is to Coloma that you have been coming every week!" "Well?" he said a second time. "Then you--you, too----" He glanced at the road, cut down the speed still more, and looked back into her thoughtful eyes. "Would you rather that it was Mark King or I who succeeded?" She was clearly perplexed. "Mark King is papa's partner," she said musingly. "And I? I hope one day to be more than his partner!" She understood but gave no sign of understanding. He did not press the point. "Here we are," he said presently as the first of the picturesque old rock-and-mortar houses of Coloma stood forth out of the wilderness. "And you're dead tired and nearly dead for sleep. I am sorry we can't have a city hotel up here; but I'll get you a room where you can lie down. You can sleep and rest for two or three hours; then we'll start back." Gloria had been tired and sleepy half an hour ago; not now. Gratton was playing his own hand in his own way--against her father and against Mark King. And Gratton had a way of winning. Something had happened; some one had telegraphed for him to come. Gloria was aquiver with excitement. She watched Gratton while he was watching the road; he, too, was tense and eager.