l object,
too. But I think it is bad that he should drag Miss Sally into it.
I don't mind his trying to throw mud on me. I can see his reason for
that."

He looked at Susan and smiled.

"I don't understand," said Mrs. Smith, "I couldn't see that he said
anything about you this morning."

"Not this morning," said the attorney. "There will be more to follow.
Wait until you see the next issue of the representative of a free and
untrammeled press. He will serve up all his friends there. I saw him
darting around like a hawk-eyed reporter this morning. I went up to
plead with him to drop the whole thing, this morning, but he as much as
told me to mind my own business. The poor old Colonel was so angry
he came at me with a whip--I don't know why--but I did not take the
advantage my strength gave me. I can forgive a man who is anger blinded.
All I want to do now is to prevent that editor fellow making any more
trouble for my friends, if I can. I don't want Miss Sally to TAKE back
those fire-extinguishers, and I don't want her to be blackmailed into
BUYING them back. I want to put her on her guard against T. J. Jones."

"This is very kind of you," said Mrs. Smith.

"She is a friend of yours, and of Miss Susan's," said the attorney.
"That would be reason enough for my doing it."

The door opened and Eliph' Hewlitt came out of the house, and Toole, who
had jumped up, in order to be on the defensive had it been the Colonel,
assumed an air of indifference. The book agent hesitated uncertainly,
glanced toward Mrs. Smith, felt under his left arm where his sample copy
usually reposed, and, not finding it, put on his hat and walked toward
the gate. Mrs. Smith sprang from her chair and ran after him. She caught
him at the gate and laid her hand on his arm. He turned to face her, and
she saw that there were tears in his usually clear eyes. He had put the
question to Miss Sally, and the answer had been unfavorable.

The interview had been short and conducted with the utmost propriety,
as advised by "Courtship--How to Win the Affections," and Miss Sally had
been kind but firm. The article in the TIMES had, far from turning her
against the Colonel, shown her what the Colonel has risked for her sake,
and she had decided in his favor, although he had not yet appeared to
claim an answer to the question he had never asked, but had been hinting
for years.

CHAPTER XVI. Two Lovers, and a Third

The attorney, when Eliph' walked dow