Whitney Stoddard reached swiftly for his checkbook and pen, but she stopped him with a warning look.
"No, there'll be nothing like that," she answered firmly. "But I moved once that we declare a dividend."
"Second the motion," murmured Stoddard resignedly; and Rimrock, too, voted: "Ay!"
Then he rose up sullenly and gazed at them both with a savage, insulting glare.
"You can keep your old mine," he said to Mary. "I'm going to beat it to Mexico!"
He started for the door and they looked after him, startled, but at the doorway he stopped and turned back.
"Where do I get that check?" he asked and after a silence Mary answered:
"From Mr. Lockhart."
"Good!" he muttered and closed the door quietly, whereat Stoddard began instantly to talk. He might have talked a long time, or only a few moments; and then Mary began to hear.
"What's that?" she asked and Stoddard repeated what he considered a very generous offer.