"None as yet."
The visitor chuckled as he crossed the room to shake hands with Ray and Mr. Steell.
"Oh, well you must be patient. He'll soon be there, and then we shall hear wonderful tales."
"What's the latest news from the seat of war—I mean the mines?" asked Ray roguishly.
Mr. Parker smiled.
"Everything is going well, thank you."
"No new big finds?" demanded Mr. Steell.
The president laughed. Shaking his head, he said:
"We can't expect to make such finds every day. If we often picked up stones of that size, we'd soon own all the wealth in the world."
"More likely," retorted Ray quickly, "that diamonds would become so cheap that children would buy them for marbles."