m he had met during his stay in the big city should be
scratched from his small list of acquaintances.

With Sylvester he held many familiar and enjoyable chats. The
good-natured, democratic senior member of the law firm liked to have
Captain Elisha drop in for advice or to spin yarns. Graves, who was
well again, regarded the new guardian with respect of a kind, but with
distinct disapproval. The captain was, in his opinion, altogether too
flippant and jolly. There was nothing humorous in the situation, as
Graves saw it, and to laugh when one's brother's estate is in a tangle,
indicated unfitness, if nothing worse. Kuhn was a sharp, quick-moving
man, who had no time for frivolity if it delayed business.

It was after a long interview with Sylvester that Captain Elisha decided
to send Stephen back to college. When he broke the news there was
rebellion, brief but lively. Stephen had no desire to continue his
studies; he wished to become a stock broker at once, and, as soon as he
was of age, take his father's seat on the Exchange.

"Stevie," said Captain Elisha, "one of these days, when you get to be
as old as I am or before, you'll realize that an education is worth
somethin'."

"Ugh!" grunted the boy, in supreme disgust. "What do you know about
that?"

"Why, not much, maybe, but enough."

"Yes?" sarcastically. "What college did you attend?"

"Me? Why, none, more's the pity. What learnin' there was in our family
your dad had. Maybe that's why he was what he was, so fur as money and
position and society and so on went, and I'm what _I_ am."

"Oh, rubbish! What difference does it make to Malcolm Dunn--now--his
going through college?"

"Well, he went, didn't he?"

Stephen grinned. Malcolm had told him some particulars concerning his
university career and its termination.

"He went--part way," he answered.

"Ya-as. Well, you've gone part way, so fur. And now you'll go the rest."

"I'd like to know why."

"For one reason, because I'm your guardian and I say so."

Stephen was furiously angry. His father's indulgence and his sister's
tolerance had, in most cases, made his will law in the household. To be
ordered about in this way by an ignorant interloper, as he considered
his uncle, was too much.

"By gad," he shouted, "we'll see!"

"No, we've seen. You run along now and pack your trunk. And take
my advice and study hard. You'll be behindhand in your work, so Mr.
Sylvester tells me, but you're smart, and y