d sense
by consulting Meadows, and he was on that account the more disposed to
encourage Farnsworth.

"If, now," said Farnsworth, "I could have as good a man as they say your
brother is, I would be better fixed. But an experienced man like your
brother would not take the place of assistant cashier."

Meadows was not so sure that his brother would refuse any place, but he
thought it better not to say anything in reply. Farnsworth, who had no
desire to take Meadows's brother unless he should be driven to it, saw
the dangerous opening he had left. He therefore proceeded, as soon as
he could get breath:

"Besides, the assistant's place belongs naturally to young Millard, and
he would have influence enough to defeat anybody else who might be
proposed. He is a good fellow, but he can't take responsibility. If
Masters were not the cold-blooded man he is, he would have made Millard
assistant cashier long ago, and advanced me to be vice-president."

"And then you would want some good man for cashier," said Meadows.

"Precisely," said Farnsworth; "that is just it."

"I think we can do that with or without Masters," said Meadows, turning
his head to one side with a quiet air of defiance. He was only too well
pleased to renew his fight against Masters with Farnsworth for ally. The
question of his brother's appointment was after all an auxiliary one; he
loved faction and opposition pure and simple.

"I am sure we can," said Farnsworth. "Of course my hand must not appear.
But if a motion were to be made to advance both Millard and me one step,
I don't think Masters would dare oppose it."

"I'll make the motion," said Meadows, with something like a sniff, as
though, like Job's war-horse, he smelled the battle and liked the odor.

In taking leave Farnsworth told Meadows that he had not yet spoken to
Millard about the matter, and he thought it not best to mention it to
him before the meeting. But the one thing that rendered Meadows
tolerably innocuous was that he never could co-operate with an ally,
even in factious opposition, without getting up a new faction within the
first, and so fomenting subdivisions as long as there were two to
divide. The moment Farnsworth had left him he began to reflect
suspiciously that the cashier intended to tell Millard himself, and so
take the entire credit of the promotion. This would leave Farnsworth
free to neglect Meadows's brother. Meadows, therefore, resolved to tell
Millard in advance an