didn't work out that way. Don't you say anything about it, but I've had
a sort of a fancy that he must be on your side of the fence."

"I'd be glad to know it," said Montague, with a laugh--"I've been
trying for a long time to find out who is on my side of the fence."

"He was talking about it the other day," said Betty, "and I heard him
tell a man that he'd read your argument, and thought it was good."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Montague.

"So was I," replied she. "And I said to him afterward, 'I suppose you
don't know that Allan Montague is my Ollie's brother.' And he did you
the honour to say that he hadn't supposed any member of Ollie's family
could have as much sense!"

Betty was staying with an aunt near by, and she went back before
dinner. In the automobile which came for her was old Wyman himself, on
his way home from the city; and as a snowstorm had begun, he came in
and stood by the fire while his car was exchanged for a closed one from
Harvey's stables. Montague did not meet him, but stood and watched him
from the shadows-a mite of a man, with a keen and eager face, full of
wrinkles. It was hard to realize that this little body held one of the
great driving minds of the country. He was an intensely nervous and
irritable man, bitter and implacable--by all odds the most hated and
feared man in Wall Street. He was swift, imperious, savage as a hornet.
"Directors at meetings that I attend vote first and discuss afterward,"
was one of his sayings that Montague had heard quoted. Watching him
here by the fireside, rubbing his hands and chatting pleasantly,
Montague had a sudden sense of being behind the scenes, of being
admitted to a privilege denied to ordinary mortals--the beholding of
royalty in everyday attire!

After dinner that evening Montague had a chat in the smoking-room with
his host; and he brought up the subject of the Hasbrook case, and told
about his trip to Washington, and his interview with Judge Ellis.

Harvey also had something to communicate. "I had a talk with Freddie
Vandam about it," said he.

"What did he say?" asked Montague.

"Well," replied the other, with a laugh, "he's indignant, needless to
say. You know, Freddie was brought up by his father to regard the
Fidelity as his property, in a way. He always refers to it as 'my
company.' And he's very high and mighty about it--it's a personal
affront if anyone attacks it. But it was evident to me that he doesn't
know who's behind