bit
rusty, and wore a high silk hat that was beginning to show signs
of age. He belonged to a type of rural lawyer that is now passing.

"I think we've heard of you, too," smiled Prescott innocently.

"Have you?" asked the lawyer, looking somewhat astonished.

"Yes," Dick went on. "I think it must have been your letter that
Mr. Reuben Hinman showed us one day. It was in regard to a bill
he had given you to collect. Mr. Hinman is in the hospital and
must need quite a bit of money just at present so I beg to express
the hope that you have been able to collect the other half of
the debt---the half that belongs to him."

Lawyer Stark reddened a good deal, despite his sallow skin.

"Why, what about that other half? What's the story?" questioned
Mr. Hartshorn, his eyes, twinkling as though he scented something
amusing.

"Oh---er---just a matter of business between a client and myself,"
the lawyer explained, in some confusion.

"And poor old Hinman was the client, eh?" asked the farmer.

"We don't know very much about the matter," Dave Darrin broke
in, a trifle maliciously, for he fell that it might be a good
thing to show up this lawyer's tricky work. "Mr. Hinman gave
Mr. Stark a bill of twenty dollars to collect, and-----"

"It was---er---all a matter of business between a client and myself,
and therefore of a confidential nature," Lawyer Stark broke in,
reddening still more.

But Dave was in no mood, just then, to be headed off so easily,
so he went on:

"Mr. Hinman showed us the letter, and asked us what we thought
of it, so that rather broke the confidential nature of the matter.
You see," turning to Mr. Hartshorn, "the bill was for twenty
dollars, and it seems that. Mr. Stark was to have half for his
trouble in collecting it. Now the letter that Mr. Hinman showed
us-----"

"I protest, young man!" exclaimed the lawyer.

"The letter," Darry went on calmly, "was to the effect that Mr.
Stark had collected his own half of the twenty dollars, and that
the collection of Mr. Hinman's half of the money seemed doubtful."

"Now, now, Stark!" exclaimed the farmer, looking sharply at the
lawyer. "Surely, that isn't your way of doing business with a
poor and aged client like Hinman!"

"I have collected the remainder of the bill, and am going to mail
a settlement to Mr. Hinman to-day," muttered the lawyer, trying
to look unconcerned. "All just a matter of routine office business,
Mr. Hartshorn."

But t