so," answered Vandover, never moving.

"But you _do_ look gone-in this morning, sure," continued Geary, seating
himself on the edge of the table and pushing back his hat. "Never saw
you looking so bad; you ought to be more careful, Van; there'll be a
smash some time. Ah, you bet a man ought to look out for his health. I
walk downtown every morning, and three times a week I take a cold shower
as soon as I get up. Ah, I tell you, that braces a fellow up; you ought
to try it; it's better than a dozen cocktails. You keep on getting thin
like you have for the past few days and I'll have to be calling you
Skinny Seldom-fed again, like we used to. Now, tell the truth, what time
did you get to bed last night? Did you go to bed at all?"

"No," replied Vandover with a long breath, looking vaguely at the
pipe-rack on the opposite wall.

"I thought as much," answered Geary. "Well, that's like you." He paused
a moment, and then went on, nervously gesturing with both his hands
simultaneously. "Well, I've had a long talk with Wade. I tell you, Van,
that old boy is as stubborn as a mule. You see, he knows he's got a
case. I couldn't talk him out of that. I'll tell you how it is,"
continued Geary, preparing to spring another mine; "he's found a letter
Ida wrote you the day before she killed herself." He paused to watch the
effect upon Vandover. Vandover waited for him to go on, but seeing that
he did not and that he expected him to say something, nodded his head
once and answered:

"I see."

"Don't you know, that letter that she wrote to you telling you how it
was, how she was fixed?" repeated Geary, puzzled and irritated at
Vandover's indifference.

"I know."

"Well, he's got it, anyhow," pursued Geary, "and of course that tells
against you. Well, I had a long talk with him yesterday afternoon and I
got him to compromise. Of course, you know in suits like this one a
party sues for a great deal more than he expects to get. At first you
know he said twenty-five thousand; that figure was decided upon at the
first interview he had with us. Of course, he could never get judgment
for that much. But he hung out at ten thousand; said it would be selling
his daughter if he took any less. Now I knew you couldn't raise that
much on any property you have, especially in these hard times--" Geary
paused for the fraction of an instant; he had thrown out the last remark
as a feeler, to see what Vandover would say; but his chum said nothing,