Page:Son of the wind.djvu/97

RV 85 "You—bought it—" The words were not quite a question, but allowed themselves to be taken as such.

"Not exactly. I don't think any one would ever have done that, do you? Father took it for a debt. A friend of his, a Mr. Janfer, built the place. I think they called it 'Janfer's Folly.' I know he lost. money on it. It was a very fine house at the time it was built, but it had been closed so long when we got it, it was dreadfully run down. You see we thought we could sell it. Father thought the mineral springs would be worth something, but whenwe had them analyzed we found out they were just ordinary water that had been charged with sulphur and iron." She laughed. "Think what Mr. Janfer said when father told him what we had found out! He said, Why, of course, I expected that you would do as I did."

"And Mr. Rader didn't?"

She shook her head. "Mother wanted to, but he wouldn't let her. She says he doesn't have the problem of running a hotel on not enough; and besides it would be good for the people to drink a lot of water even if it is just plain. But father said he couldn't live a pretense."

"And how about you?" Carron inquired, resting his arm on the well curb. The warm personal look he