oud over the evening pipes and beer to knots of applauding men,
mostly tramps and idlers, in a thousand groggeries throughout the
bustling city. Cranston lifted the file from the desk as though to read
beyond the first sheet, but on second thought replaced it. Something
about the "threatening bayonets of Federal hirelings" at the foot of the
first page promised lively developments farther on, and recalled vividly
the editorials in similar strain that had been brought to the attention
of the officials at head-quarters, more than one of whom had expressed
the belief that they could spot the author on sight. Cranston turned
from it in some disgust, and resumed the contemplation of the work
already done. All he expected--all he had stipulated for--was a
catalogue of the books,--something he himself had not had time to make,
and a "job" which, to a man of scholarly tastes and education upon whose
hands time was apparently hanging heavily and that equivalent of time,
money, hanging not at all, would prove agreeable and acceptable.
Cranston's father loved those books, and had grouped them on his shelves
according to their subjects, history, art, science, the drama, the
classics, standard fiction, and modern literature having received each
its allotted space, and not for a heavy reward would the son have
changed them; but here already were more than half these prized
possessions tumbled promiscuously all over the room, and the soldier
could have sworn in hearty trooper fashion over the disarray, but for
the silent presence of his mother's portrait above the mantel facing the
father's desk. He had heard only recently of the tutor's avowed
proclivities for tearing down and stirring up the existing order of
things, and here was conclusive evidence that the gifted Elmendorf
proposed the complete rebuilding on his own lines of the fabric that
was the revered father's happiest work, even while incidentally devoting
some hours each day to stirring up a similar overturning in society.
That Elmendorf was not destitute of practical business views, however,
may be made apparent from the fact that when Cranston had intimated a
desire to have him name the sum he would consider a fair compensation
for the work, intending then to add a liberal percentage to the
estimate, the scholar replied that it would have to depend upon the
number of days and hours it took from other avocations, and it was now
evident that a long engagement was in contempla