town."

"Pretty well fixed, I s'pose, ain't they?"

"I presume so. I don't know."

"Um. He's a sociable young feller, ain't he? Don't stand on any
ceremony, hey? Caro and Steve think a lot of him and his mother."

"Yes. Graves has told me the Dunns were very intimate with the Warrens.
In fact, just before your brother's death, I remember hearing a rumor
that the two families might be even closer connected."

"You mean--er--Caroline and--er--him?"

"There was such a rumor. Probably nothing in it. There is no engagement,
I am very sure."

"Yes, yes, I see. Well, Mr. Sylvester, I must be trottin' on. I'll
think the whole business over for another day or so and then give you my
decision, one way or the other."

"You can't give it now?"

"No-o. I guess I'd better not. However, I think--"

"Yes."

"Well, I think I may take the job. Take it on trial, anyhow."

"Good! I'm glad of it."

"You _are_?"

"I certainly am. And I'm very glad indeed to have made your
acquaintance, Captain Warren. Good afternoon. I shall hope to see you
again soon."

Captain Elisha left the Central Club in a surprised frame of mind. What
surprised him was that a man of such thorough city training and habits
as the senior partner of the law firm should express pleasure at the
idea of his accepting the charge of A. Rodgers Warren's heirs and
estate. Mr. Graves had shown no such feeling.

If he had heard Sylvester's report to Kuhn, at the office next day, he
might have been even more surprised and pleased.

"He's a brick, Kuhn," declared the senior partner. "A countryman, of
course, but a keen, able, honest man, and, I think, a mighty good judge
of character. If I was as sure of his ability to judge investments and
financial affairs, I should be certain the Warren children couldn't be
in better hands. And no doubt we can help him when it comes to that.
He'll probably handle the girl and boy in his own way, and his outside
greenness may jar them a little. But it'll do them good to be jarred at
their age. He's all right, and I hope he accepts the whole trust."

"Well," exclaimed Mr. Kuhn; "you surprise me. Graves seemed to be--"

"Graves suffers from the absolute lack of a sense of humor. His path
through life is about three feet wide and bordered with rock-ribbed
conventionality. If a man has a joke in his system, Graves doesn't
understand it and is suspicious. I tell, you, Kuhn, there's more honest
common sense and ability in the ri