ney."

"Thank you," she said, quietly. "I know you understand!"

"I will put it in the place where it belongs. That's all!"

And when he kept his broad back to her she went out of the office, her
feet making no sound on the thick carpet.

XXXIII

ALL THE WORLD OUTSIDE

A good lawyer can accomplish much when men are willing to listen to
reason and to accept the proffer of reparation!

"All going to show," declared the Honorable Archer Converse to his
young protege, after they had parted at last from Morgan Bristol in the
Western city, "that a thistle doesn't hurt much, after all, if you grab
it with all your might and vim. We have found honest gentlemen here,
thank God! It has been made plain to me, my boy, that they all knew you
better than you knew yourself and that's why they waited so patiently.
But, oh, that folly of yours!" However, he patted Thornton Bristol's
shoulder when he said it. "It's a good thing for a young man to have a
healthy debt when he starts out--a debt that's a joy to pay. Just look
on it as an incentive, boy! You simply mortgaged your future!"

"I am glad that I have been called on to pay for what I wasted,"
declared Bristol. "And I am not sorry, Mr. Converse, that my folly led
me out into the byways of this world. I'll know how to appreciate the
rest of life more highly."

"Needs a hot fire to make good steel--that's so," agreed his mentor.
"And speaking of fire--I reckon we're going to find it almighty hot when
we get back to the place where we're expected. Now that we're leaving
affairs all serene behind us, you must let me do a little careful
thinking about how to meet the situation that's ahead of us."

Archer Converse reappeared in his home city as unobtrusively as he had
left it and he held the polished shield of his urbane reserve over any
vulnerable points which darts of questions might attack.

Mr. Breed, assuring himself that he had certain personal rights in
the matter, came with a veritable lance of interrogation, and thrust
tirelessly.

"It is the custom when a man has been nominated never to close an eye
or leave the job for a minute. You have broke over all rules and I have
been doing my best to fix up a story to account for it," stated Mr.
Breed.

"Thank you," returned Mr. Converse. "No doubt you have done a very good
job."

"I done the best I could without knowing what I was talking about."

"And the general comment--the run of talk was--what?"

"Gener