t up to you, old boy. Is it all right?"

Stuart's answer was a nod, a smile and a pressure of the hand.

CHAPTER V

A TRUMP CARD

The stirring scenes of Virginia brought Stuart more and more into
intimate personal relations with Bivens and he had taken advantage of
the fact to draw away from his wife. The fierce temptation through
which he had fought had left its scar, sobered his imagination, and
brought him up sharply against the realization of danger. He had ceased
to see Nan alone. Bivens's increasing devotion had made this easy and
on Harriet's return from Europe with an engagement as understudy in
grand opera his life settled down once more to the steady development
of his ideal of service to the common people.

Scarcely a day passed without bringing to the young lawyer some
reminder of Bivens's friendship. Two great lawsuits involving the
principles on which the structure of the modern business world rested
were begun in the Federal courts. At the financier's secret suggestion
the more important of these was placed in Stuart's hands. Bivens hoped
to beat the Government in this suit, but in case the people should win
he wanted the personal satisfaction of knowing that he had helped to
make the fame of his best friend.

Stuart could scarcely credit his ears when Bivens said to him with a
chuckle:

"How's your big suit to dissolve the American Chemical Company coming
on, Jim?"

"We're going to win, beyond the shadow of a doubt!" was the
enthusiastic reply.

"If you do, I want you to know, old boy, that I threw that job into
your hands."

"What?"

"I caused the proper man to suggest your name at the right moment, to
the right people."

"The American Chemical Company is your original pet, and you put me up
against it?"

Stuart paused and looked at Bivens with a scowl.

"Look here, Cal," he went on angrily, "you didn't think that you could
use our friendship to weaken this suit at a critical moment, did you?"

"Jim," the little man cried, in distress, "you can't believe that I
thought you were that sort of a dog, after all that has passed between
us?"

"It does seem incredible," Stuart agreed.

"No, my boy," Bivens went on, after a pause, "I don't have to do dirty
little things like that. These big issues have been raised. They are
bound to come to trial before the Supreme Court of the United
States--our one great tribunal beyond reproach or suspicion. They will
be decided on their meri