"Isn't that good?"
"Couldn't be better," he admitted.
It was a warm day. Joyce glanced in at the soda fountain and said demurely, "My, but it's hot! Won't you come in and have an ice-cream soda on me?"
Dave flushed. "If you'll go as my guest," he said stiffly.
"How good of you to invite me!" she accepted, laughing, but with a tint of warmer color in her cheeks.
Rhythmically she moved beside him to a little table in the corner of the drug-store. "I own stock in the Jackpot. You've got to give an accounting to me. Have you found a market yet?"
"The whole Southwest will be our market as soon as we can reach it."
"And when will that be?" she asked.
"I'm having some hauled to relieve the glut. The railroad will be operating inside of six weeks. We'll keep Number Three capped till then and go on drilling in other locations. Burns is spudding in a new well to-day."
The clerk took their order and departed. They were quite alone, not within hearing of anybody. Joyce took her fear by the throat and plunged in.