Quietly opening the door, Doris stood and listened. The old mansion was quiet save for the whistling of the wind and the rattling of doors and windows. Hesitating a moment, she noiselessly stole down the hallway. She was not afraid of being heard for she knew Azalea and Iris had rooms in the other wing. At the head of the stairway she halted in astonishment. Below her she caught the glimmer of an oil lamp. To her further amazement she saw two men sitting at the table and instantly recognized them as Ronald Trent and Henry Sully! Doris’s first impulse was to retreat. Then, realizing that she was standing in the dark and could not be seen, although she could plainly see what the others were about, she was tempted to remain. Instinctively, she had sensed that all was not as it should be. She distinctly remembered hearing Ronald Trent leave the house before the Misses Gates had retired. Why, then, had Henry Sully admitted him again and so quietly that no one had been the wiser? She listened intently so as not to miss a word the men were saying. “Any mail today, Hank?” she heard Ronald Trent mutter. “No, but we’ll git something soon, I hope,” Henry answered so low that Doris scarcely caught the words. “Takes a while to git mail from the oil fields, I reckon.” “Wish things would start breaking our way for a change,” Ronald said. “First thing we know that smart-looking Force kid will throw a wrench into the works and ruin our plans. I need money bad, too.” “You ain’t the only one.” “Everybody does,” growled Trent softly. “I can’t stand this outfit much longer,” mumbled Henry dejectedly. “How’s the crowd in town treating you?” inquired Trent, a bit maliciously. “The town officials haven’t decided on a clean-up week, have they?” “Naw, that’s all right. But this law-abidin’ flock make me tired. Too many females pokin’ around—just too many,” muttered Henry disgustedly, taking out his watch, and winding the stem thoughtfully, tilting his head to one side in an attitude of alertness. The hour was growing late. Doris shrank back, but there was no need. They were entirely unaware of her nearness. Ronald Trent laughed suggestively. This made Doris’s cheeks burn with embarrassment as he said, “Gee, that bunch of flowers smell good to me! I love the ladies, especially the pretty girlies, Henry. I’m not so hard to be friends with,” the egotist mused. “I’m a swell dresser, too, everything the dames like.” Henry envied him his position with the Misses Gates, it was plain to be seen, as he accepted the statement with a nod of approval. There was a pause as Ronald Trent took out a wallet and looked over its contents. Doris waited in the dark hallway, unable to see the contents. “The old dames are shutting down a bit,” Ronald went on. “I had to play up to ’em tonight and got only two hundred at that.” “Too bad the old gals got that letter off to the red-head. That was one you missed, Trent.”