influence."

"I have somebody looking after my interests in that line, Citizen Drew.
I'm not worrying." He opened the door. "In fact, there are two mighty
helpful chaps whom I'm going to associate with more or less from now
on."

"Bring 'em with you and let me know 'em. Can't have too many in a good
cause."

"I'll bring them--but they are pretty hard to understand--rather slow
getting acquainted--lots of folks have no use for them," said Farr,
starting down-stairs.

"What are their names?" asked the inquisitive citizen, eager for more
additions to his general stock of information.

"I'll tell you later."

But Farr named them to himself when he was on the street.

"Chance and Humility--I hope you are going to stick by me from now on,"
he muttered. "Chance, you have led me into a queer position and into a
strange state of mind. Humility, you are helping me to understand. Now,
Chance, what have you to say to me?"

It was more of the fantastic whimsy with which Walker Farr played.

His eyes, searching the street after this challenge to Chance, beheld an
ice-wagon rumbling past. It was a neat-looking cart, painted white, and
bore the advertisement, "Crystal Pure Independent Ice Company."

Another wagon, painted dirty yellow, followed. It was a Consolidated
ice-cart; Farr knew those carts with their loads of river-ice.

The spectacle of something which promised rivalry to that yellow cart
piqued his interest. His mood welcomed the first adventure which Chance
presented. He had found Chance playing peculiar pranks with his affairs
in the days just past.

He hurried in pursuit of the white cart and accosted the driver.

"Where can I find the manager of this company?"

"He's up at Coosett Lake this afternoon, sir." The man was respectful.
The stranger's garb and demeanor impressed him. "The trolley will take
you pretty near it. Take a car in the square--a Halcyon Park car."

Without canvassing the matter further Farr took the car.

He decided that it was a most comforting sensation, this abandoning his
problems to Chance! It saved so much fuss and worry.

He found the little lake at the limits of the park area--a hollow among
the hills.

Men were busy at the foot of the slope over whose crest he marched. He
saw several rough buildings at the edge of the lake, plainly makeshift
ice-houses. One was a new structure and the other two were old barns
which had been "darned" here and there with new material, and