o the Romans, and had surprised all his
brethren by studying the 2nd chapter carefully. The result, however,
was not what a searching of the Scriptures is supposed to produce. For
he telephoned to Roderick the next morning that he could tell Ed, when
he came in, that he, Archie Blair, would be hanged if he would waste
any more time on local option if that was what people were saying about
him. And Captain Jimmie dropped in immediately after to say that if
something wasn't done to conciliate Jock McPherson he was afraid he
would vote against local option altogether.

So the cause of temperance suffered a check. It proved to be not a
very serious one, but it served Roderick. For it postponed the
necessity of his declaring himself on either side, and he hoped that
before the day arrived when he must join the issue, his affairs would
be less complicated.

Diplomacy was one of Lawyer Ed's strong features, and he had almost
completed a reconciliation between all the aggrieved parties when
Roderick left for a business trip to the north. It was an important
commission involving much money, and certain vague statements regarding
its outcome made by Mr. Graham had fired the Lad's imagination.

"Now, I needn't warn you to do your best, Roderick," said the man when
he bade him good-bye. "You'll do that, anyway. But there's more than
money in this. There's an eye on you--"

He would say no more, but Leslie gave him another hint. He had found
her strolling past the office as he ran out to post some letters, the
day before his departure. He was absolutely without conceit, but he
could not help noticing that somehow Miss Leslie Graham nearly always
happened, by the strangest coincidence, to be on the street just as he
was leaving the office.

He walked with her to the post-office and back, and then she declared
her fingers were frozen and she would come into the office for ten
minutes to warm them.

"So you're going to fix up things with the British North American
Railroad for Daddy, are you?" she said, holding out her gloved fingers
over the glowing coal-stove. "That means that you'll be getting your
fingers into Uncle Will's business, too. His lawyer is up at Beaver
Landing now."

"Whose lawyer?" asked Roderick, giving her a chair by the fire and
standing before her feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"Uncle Will's. You know Uncle Will Graham? He's an American now, but
he has all sorts of interests in Canada an