I've come back to stay."

Mr. Louden plainly received this as no pleasant surprise. "What for?"
he asked, slowly.

"To practise law, father."

"What!"

"Yes," said the young man. "There ought to be an opening here for me.
I'm a graduate of as good a law-school as there is in the country--"

"You are!"

"Certainly," said Joe, quietly. "I've put myself through, working in
the summer--"

"Working!" Mr. Louden snorted. "Side-shows?"

"Oh, worse than that, sometimes," returned his son, laughing.
"Anything I could get. But I've always wanted to come back home and
work here."

Mr. Louden leaned forward, a hand on each knee, his brow deeply
corrugated. "Do you think you'll get much practice in Canaan?"

"Why not? I've had a year in a good office in New York since I left
the school, and I think I ought to get along all right."

"Oh," said Mr. Louden, briefly. "You do?"

"Yes. Don't you?"

"Who do you think in Canaan would put a case in your hands?"

"Oh, I don't expect to get anything important at the start. But after
a while--"

"With your reputation?"

The smile which had faded from Joe's lips returned to them. "Oh, I
know they thought I was a harum-scarum sort of boy," he answered
lightly, "and that it was a foolish thing to run away for nothing; but
you had said I mustn't come to you for help--"

"I meant it," said Mr. Louden.

"But that's seven years ago, and I suppose the town's forgotten all
about it, and forgotten me, too. So, you see, I can make a fresh
start. That's what I came back for."

"You've made up your mind to stay here, then?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe," said Mr. Louden, with marked uneasiness, "that Mrs.
Louden would be willing to let you live with us."

"No," said Joe, gently. "I didn't expect it." He turned to the window
and looked out, averting his face, yet scoring himself with the
contempt he had learned to feel for those who pity themselves. His
father had not even asked him to sit down. There was a long silence,
disturbed only by Mr. Louden's breathing, which could be heard, heavy
and troubled.

At last Joe turned again, smiling as before. "Well, I won't keep you
from your work," he said. "I suppose you're pretty busy--"

"Yes, I am," responded his father, promptly. "But I'll see you again
before you go. I want to give you some advice."

"I'm not going," said Joe. "Not going to leave Canaan, I mean. Where
will I find Eugene?"

"At the Tocsin office