ll you what he wanted to speak to me about? That's
better yet. I imagine his brother isn't so shy about publishing his good
works before men."

Kirkwood's eyes sought the roses. The "attentions" Phil was receiving
had roused in him the mixed bewilderment and awe with which a father
realizes that he has on his hands a daughter upon whom other men have
begun to look covetously. Half a dozen young fellows were dancing
attendance upon Phil. In the hotel and at the theater in Indianapolis
men and women had paid her the tribute of a second glance, and Mrs.
Fitch had been enthusiastic about her. His tolerant spirit had not
visited upon the young Holtons the sins of their uncle. Charles's
devotion to Phil had rather amused him; he had taken it as an oblique
compliment to himself, assuming that it was due to anxiety on Charles's
part to ingratiate himself with Phil's father quite as much as with
Phil.

"I suppose what Fred meant was a little matter between us in the
traction business. You know that farm he settled on next to Amzi's? He's
turned it over to me."

"You mean he doesn't own it any more?" asked Phil.

"Strictly speaking, no. In the general Holton mess he thought he ought
to surrender the property. Rather quixotic, but creditable to the boy.
You see Charlie was executor of their father's estate. Charlie's beyond
doubt a very smooth young person. And no end plausible. He got Fred to
take that farm in settlement of all claims against Samuel's estate. And
when Fred found out there was trouble over his father's financiering of
the Sycamore he hopped on the trolley and came to the city and turned
over the farm to me as trustee. He seemed no end grateful to me for
allowing him to do it."

"But you didn't let him--it isn't fair! Why the farm's no good anyhow!
And besides, Charlie wouldn't have done Fred an injury. He talked to me
the other day at his aunt's skating-party about all that traction
business and I'm sure he never meant any harm. He couldn't help what his
father did. But to take Fred's farm away--why, daddy, that would be the
supreme grand lim_ite_!"

Kirkwood laughed and pinched her chin.

"What a terrible young person you are! You seem to forget that I'm not
the Holtons' attorney. I'm hired by the poor innocents who bought Sam
Holton's bonds, and it's my business to get all the money for them I
can. Charles's tricks with his father's estate only figure incidentally,
but they have a dark look. It's merely