f proceedings that you require."

"I believe you are right about keeping on with the work," replied
White, thoughtfully; "though I am not so sure about the other part of
your scheme. Anyway, I must run to the house for a little talk with
mother, and if you'll just set things going in the factory I shall be
much obliged."

"All right," agreed Cabot, "I'll shake 'em up."

And he was as good as his word, for when, after an absence of more than
an hour, White reappeared on the scene he found the factory in full
blast, with its operatives working as they had never worked before, and
Cabot Grant, the most disreputable-looking of the lot, urging them on
by voice and example to still greater exertions. He seemed to be
everywhere and doing everything at once.

"Hello, old man! We've got greenbacks to burn, and we're a-burning
'em," he cried cheerily as he paused to greet his friend, and at the
same time dash the streaming perspiration from his face with a grimy
hand. "What's the news?"

"The news is that you are a trump!" exclaimed White, "and that in spite
of all you are doing for us we want you to grant us still another
favour."

"Name it, my boy, and if it is anything within reason, including a
defiance of the whole British navy, I'll do it," laughed Cabot.

"I hope you will, for it is something that we all want you to do very
much," responded White. "You see it's this way. I spoke of your
suggestion to mother, and she thought so well of it that I went to the
magistrate and got him to draw up a deed transferring this property,
for a nominal consideration, to a friend. Now it is all ready for
signatures, and we want you to be that friend."

"Me!" cried Cabot, completely staggered by this unexpected result of
his own planning. "You can't mean that. Why, you don't know anything
about me. For all you know I might never give the property back to
you."

"We are willing to risk that," replied White, "and would rather trust
you to act for us in this matter than any one else we know. It is a
big favour to ask, I know; but you said you felt indebted to me and
only wanted a chance to pay off the debt, so I thought perhaps--but if
you don't want to do it, of course----"

"But I will, if you really want me to," cried Cabot. "I have always
longed to own a lobster factory. It never entered my head when I
proposed the plan that I would help carry it out; but if you think I
can be of the slightest assistance in that