emed for a
moment to be thinking on the subject, and then he took his pen and
wrote several lines under the question. Phonny supposed that he was
writing his answer.

After his writing was finished, Wallace folded up the paper, and told
Phonny that he must not read it until he had given it to Beechnut.

"How did you know that it was from Beechnut?" said Phonny.

"I knew by the handwriting," said Wallace. "Besides, I knew that there
was nobody else here who would have referred such a question to me, in
such a scientific way."

So Phonny took the paper and carried it down to Beechnut.

Beechnut opened it, and read aloud as follows:

My judgment is, that it would depend upon whether B. had a
reasonable time to consider and decide upon the offer,
before C. came forward. In all cases of making an offer, it
is implied that reasonable time is allowed to consider it.

"The question is, then, boys," said Beechnut, "whether Stuyvesant had
had a reasonable time to consider my offer, before Phonny came
forward. What do you think about that, Phonny?"

"Why, yes," said Phonny, "he had an hour."

Stuyvesant said nothing.

"I will think about that while I am riding," said Beechnut, "and tell
you what I conclude upon it when I return. Perhaps we shall have to
refer that question to Mr. Wallace, too."

So Beechnut drove away, and the boys went back into the shop. Here
they resumed their work of putting the tools in order, and while doing
so, they continued their conversation about the question of priority.

"_I_ think," said Phonny, "that you had abundance of time to consider
whether you would accept the offer."

"We might leave that question to Wallace, too," said Stuyvesant.

"Yes," said Phonny, "let's go now and ask him."

"Well," said Stuyvesant, "I am willing."

"Only," said Phonny, "we must not tell him what the question is
about."

"No," said Stuyvesant.

So the boys went together up to Wallace's room. They found him in his
alcove as before. They advanced to the table, and Wallace looked up to
them to hear what they had to say.

"B. had an hour to consider of his offer," said Phonny, "don't you
think that that was enough?"

Phonny was very indiscreet, indeed, in asking the question in that
form, for it showed at once that whatever might be the subject of the
discussion, he was not himself the person represented by B. It was now
no longer possible for Wallace to look at the question pur