hly official mien at his roller-top desk, where he became vitally
interested in a batch of letters, presumably that morning's mail, but
which in reality bore dates ranging back to the past year.

Then the eminent lawyer delved importantly into an empty letter-file;
emerged after ten minutes' study in order to give Blackstone a few
thoroughly familiar turns, opened the window further to cool his fevered
brain, lit a highly athletic cigar, crossed his legs, and was at last
at leisure to talk business with Garrison, who had almost fallen asleep
during the business rush.

"What's your name?" he asked peremptorily.

Ordinarily Garrison would have begged him to go to a climate where
thermometers are not in demand, but now he was hungry, and wanted a job,
so he answered obediently: "William Good."

"Good, William," said the eminent lawyer, smiling at himself in the
little mirror of the towel-cabinet. He understood that he possessed a
thin vein of humor. Necessary quality for an eminent lawyer. "And no
occupation, I presume, and no likelihood of one, eh?"

Garrison nodded.

"Well"--and Mr. Snark made a temple of worship from his fat fingers, his
cigar at right angles, his shrewd gray eyes on the ceiling--"I have a
position which I think you can fill. To make a long story short, I
have a client, a very wealthy gentleman of Cottonton, Virginia; name of
Calvert--Major Henry Clay Calvert. Dare say you've heard of the Virginia
Calverts," he added, waving the rank incense from the athletic cigar.

He had only heard of the family a week or two ago, but already he
persuaded himself that their reputation was national, and that his
business relations with them dated back to the Settlement days.

Garrison found occasion to say he'd never heard of them, and the eminent
lawyer replied patronizingly that "we all can't be well-connected,
you know." Then he went on with his short story, which, like all short
stories, was a very long one.

"Now it appears that Major Calvert has a nephew somewhere whom he has
never seen, and whom he wishes to recognize; in short, make him his
heir. He has advertised widely for him during the past few months, and
has employed a lawyer in almost every city to assist in this hunt for a
needle in a haystack. This nephew's name is Dagget--William C. Dagget.
His mother was a half-sister of Major Calvert's. The search for this
nephew has been going on for almost a year--since Major Calvert heard of
his brothe