More than that, she quickly learned that it was best to go alone, that it was she, quite as much as the promised concessions for tobacco, salt, telegraph, telephone monopolies, that loosed the purse strings.
Her first week's report of pledges ran into the thousands with a substantial immediate payment of real dollars.
"How did you do it ?" asked Santos in undisguised admiration, as she was telling him one night of her success, in the dusty, cobwebbed little ship chandlery on South Street where the Junta headquarters had been established.
"Dollar diplomacy," she laughed, not displeased at his admiration.

"We shall soon convert American dollars into Vespuccian bullets." They were alone, and a week had made much difference in the fascinating friendship to Constance.
"Let me show you what I have done," Ramon confided.

"Already, I have started together the 'counterfeiting plant,' as you call it." Piece by piece, as he had been able to afford them, he had been ordering the presses, the stamping machine, and a little "reeding" or milling machine for the edges of the coins.
"The paper, the ink, and the bullion, we shall order now as we can," he explained, resting his head on his elbow at the table beside her.
"Everything will be secured from firms which make mint supplies for foreign governments.

A photo-engraver is now engaged on the work of copying the notes.

He is making the plates by the photo-etching process--the same as that by which the real money plates are made.
Then, too, there will be dies for the coins.