certainly," they all agreed at once.

"Leastways--" said Mecutchen.

"That is--" said Parthenheimer.

"How was it, anyway?" asked Stethson.

"Thought you saw it," cried the others, turning on him instantly.

"So I did," said Stethson; "but I thought I'd like to hear what you
gentlemen's impression was."

"Well," said Mecutchen and Vickers, the tall man, together, tipping back
their hats with a simultaneous and precisely similar movement on the
part of each,--nothing is more indicative of the careful independence of
the average American than the way in which he always keeps his head
covered in the presence of his lawyer,--"Well," said Vickers and
Mecutchen.

Mr. Mecutchen bowed to Mr. Vickers, and Mr. Vickers bowed to Mr.
Mecutchen, with a sort of grotesque self-effacement. Mr. Vickers waved
his hand, and Mr. Mecutchen proceeded.

"Why," said he, "the lady stopped the car in the middle of the
block,--just like a woman,--got on the platform, car started with a
jerk, and she fell off."

Vickers and Parthenheimer nodded assent, but Stethson said that _his_
view of it was that the car started off again while she was trying to
get on.

"That makes it stronger," said Mecutchen.

"Well, of course," said Stethson, settling his spectacles farther back
on his nose; and Vickers murmured that you couldn't have it too strong,
as he knew from the point of view (as he said) of cows. "It's wonderful
what you can get for cows," he added pensively.

"Ag'in' a railroad company," said the grizzled old Parthenheimer, "the
stronger the better, because some cases, no matter how aggerawated they
are, you only git a specific sum and no damages. But a railroad case,
which is a damage case right through, the worse they are the more you
git. I had a little niece to be killed by a freight-train, and they took
off that pore little girl's head, and her right arm, and her left leg,
all three, like it was done by a mowing-machine,--so clean cut, you
know. Well, sir, they got a werdick for six thousand dollars, my brother
and his wife did; and their lawyer stood to it that the mangling brought
in three thousand; and I think he was right about it, too."

"Six thousand!" said Vickers, with immense appreciation.

"The court set it aside for being excessive," said Parthenheimer," and
aft'werds they compromised for less. But there it was. And the way it
was done was odd, too. Right arm and left leg."

"Ah," said Vickers, "living right on a