past two days, and he
took the blow stiff and erect, as a good soldier stands up to be
disciplined. His eye roved over the work in which he had taken such
pride, and already he could see in fancy the dank weeds growing up,
and the croaking frogs diving into the oily surface, and the clouds of
mosquitoes hovering over it again. Over the top of his retaining wall
still poured the foul water which was to leaven all this, and he gazed
upon it with a sharp intake of the breath.

"And to think that Silas Trimmer must have known all this, and led me
to waste a fortune just so that he could reap the benefit of my
advertising for his own vulture advantage!"

That, at first, was the part which hurt more than the overthrow of his
plans, more than the loss of his money, more than the failure of his
fight to carry out his father's wishes for his success: that any one
could play the game so unfairly, that there could be in all the world
people so detestable, so unprincipled, so _unsportsmanlike_!

Slowly the vanquished pair descended the hill to where the automobile
stood upon the solid, level sward, but before they climbed in Bobby
shook hands with his engineer.

"Don't blame yourself too much, old man," he said. "It wasn't a
condition that you could foresee, and I'm mighty sorry if it hurts
your reputation."

"It ought to!" exclaimed Platt with deep self-revilement. "I should
have investigated. I should not have taken anything for granted. I
ought to have enough money so that you could sue me for damages and
recover all you lost."

"It couldn't be done," said Bobby miserably. "I've lost so much more
than money."

He did not tell Platt of Agnes, but that was the one thought into
which all his failure had finally resolved. Agnes! How much longer
must he wait for her? They had just passed the club-house when a light
buggy turned into Burnit Avenue, driven furiously by a white-haired
man in a white vest and a high silk hat.

"I accept your offer!" cried Applerod, as soon as he came within
talking distance, his usually ruddy face now livid white.

"My offer," repeated Bobby wonderingly.

"Yes; your offer of ten thousand dollars for my share in the Applerod
Addition."

Bobby was forced to laugh. It had needed but this to make the bitter
jest of fortune complete.

"You refused that offer the day it was made, Applerod!" put in Platt
indignantly. "I heard you. Anyhow, you dragged Mr. Burnit into this
thing!"

"He's not to