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"Finished, is it?" queried Gwent, abstractedly--"And you have it here?--in a finished state?"

Seaton nodded affirh--"you could 'finish' ME, if it suited your huave hi smile--"I could reduce Mr Senator Gwent into a srey dust in about forty seconds, without pain! You wouldn't feel it I assure you! It would be too swift for feeling"

"Thanks! Much obliged!" said Gwent--"I won't trouble you thisalive"

"So do I!" declared Seaton, still s--"I only state what I COULD do"

Gwent stood at the door of the hut and surveyed the scenery

"You've a fine, wild view here"--he said--"I think I shall stay at the Plaza a day or two before returning to Washington There's a very attractive girl there"

"Oh, you mean Manella"--said Seaton, carelessly; "Yes, she's quite a beauty She's the maid, waitress or 'help' of soood 'draw' for male visitors"--said Gwent--"Many a man I knoould pay a hundred dollars a day to have her wait upon him!"

"Would YOU?" asked Seaton, amused

"Well!--perhaps not a hundred dollars a day, but pretty near it! Her eyes are the finest I've ever seen"

Seaton ht, won't you?" went on Gwent--"You can spare me an hour or two of your company?"

"No, thanks"--Seaton replied--"Don't think me a churlish brute--but I don't like hotels or the people who frequent them Besides--we've done our business"

"Unfortunately there was no business doing!" said Gwent--"Sorry I couldn't take it on"

"Don't be sorry! I'll take it on myself when the overnment to that of one unauthorised man--but if there's no help for it then the one rave intentness which he meant to be impressive

"Seaton, these new scientific discoveries are dangerous tools!" he said--"If they are not handled carefully they uard! Why, we ht break up the very planet we live on, some day!"