e, "we have jogged along for some years pretty peaceably,
and I hope you won't misunderstand what I'm going to say."

The Honourable Hilary grunted.

"It was at your request that I went into the law. I have learned to like
that profession. I have stuck to it as well as my wandering, Bohemian
nature will permit, and while I do not expect you necessarily to feel
any pride in such progress as I have made, I have hoped--that you might
feel an interest."

The Honourable Hilary grunted again.

"I suppose I am by nature a free-lance," Austen continued. "You were
good enough to acknowledge the force of my argument when I told you
it would be best for me to strike out for myself. And I suppose it
was inevitable, such being the case, and you the chief counsel for the
Northeastern Railroads, that I should at some time or another be called
upon to bring suits against your client. It would have been better,
perhaps, if I had not started to practise in this State. I did so from
what I believe was a desire common to both of us to--to live together."

The Honourable Hilary reached for his Honey Dew, but he did not speak.

"To live together," Austen repeated. "I want to say that, if I had gone
away, I believe I should always have regretted the fact." He paused, and
took from his pocket a slip of paper. "I made up my mind from the start
that I would always be frank with you. In spite of my desire to
amass riches, there are some suits against the Northeastern which I
have--somewhat quixotically--refused. Here is a section of the act which
permitted the consolidation of the Northeastern Railroads. You are no
doubt aware of its existence."

The Honourable Hilary took the slip of paper in his hand and stared
at it. "The rates for fares and freights existing at the time of the
passage of this act shall mot be increased on the roads leased or united
under it." What his sensations were when he read it no man might have
read in his face, but his hand trembled a little, and along
silence ensued before he gave it back to his son with the simple
comment:--"Well?"

"I do not wish to be understood to ask your legal opinion, although you
probably know that lumber rates have been steadily raised, and if a
suit under that section were successful the Gaylord Lumber Company could
recover a very large sum of money from the Northeastern Railroads," said
Austen. "Having discovered the section, I believe it to be my duty
to call it to the attention o