ather chair and going to the
fireplace gave the blazing logs a vicious little poke.

He was becoming nettled. Anybody could see that.

"The Curtises have not a whit more title to the child than I have," he
burst out. "You are a lawyer, Carleton, and you know that. I am just as
much Jean's uncle as Tom Curtis is; in fact I think I am more her uncle
because I am her father's own brother. I'm a Cabot, and so is Jean. I
should think that ought to be enough. Who would she live with, if not
with the Cabots?"

Mr. Carleton cleared his throat.

"You certainly have a strong claim to the little girl," he agreed. "But
you see my other client puts up an equally convincing story. In fact,
he uses almost your identical words. He says he is Jean's mother's own
brother, and argues no one can have a closer right than that."

"But what does he know about bringing up a little girl? Isn't he an old
bachelor?"

"You are not married yourself, Mr. Cabot."

"Well, no. So I'm not. However, that's neither here nor there. Tom
Curtis is fifty if he's a day. He is too old to bring up a child,
Carleton."

"He complains that you are only thirty, and too young."

Mr. Robert Cabot, who was walking excitedly about the room, turned
quickly.

"But I have Hannah. You do not know Hannah or you would feel
differently. It is hard to tell you what Hannah is. You just have to
know her. She is the mainspring of my household. Not only does she
cook, clean, mend, and market for me; she does a score of things
besides. Why, I couldn't live without her. She is one of those motherly
souls whose wisdom is of the sages. She has been in our family since I
was a baby. Most of my bringing up, in fact, was due to her and," he
added whimsically, "behold the work of her hands!"

Mr. Carleton smiled.

"I cannot deny the product is good, Mr. Cabot. But again, all these
arguments you put forth Mr. Tom Curtis also reechoes in behalf of his
German Fraeulein. She too has been for years in the Curtis family and
brought up their children, and Mr. Curtis feels that since she trained
Jean's mother she is eminently the person to train Jean."

"Humph!"

"The claims seem about equal."

"No, they're not. That's where you are wrong. Allowing everything else
to be equal even you must grant that there is one serious objection of
which you have not spoken. Mr. Tom Curtis lives in _Pittsburgh_! That
is enough to overthrow the whole thing. Pittsburgh! Think of bringing
up a