y."

There was no trace of the recent battle in Mr. McVickar's voice or
manner when he shook hands cordially with the son of the man who had so
lately defied him.

"Your father and I were just now holding a little conference over your
future prospects, Mr. Blount," he said, going straight to his point.
"Suppose you come down to the car with me for a private talk on legal
matters. I'm inclined to think that we shall wish to retain you in a
cause which is coming up in September. Gantry tells me that you are
pretty well up in corporation law. Can you spare me a half-hour or so?"

Evan Blount glanced at the big clock over the clerk's head. Patricia had
told him that she and her father would dine in the _cafe_ at seven, and
that there would be a place at their table for him--and another for his
father, if the ex-senator would so far honor a poor college professor.
There was an hour to spare; and if the vice-president of the
Transcontinental was not the king, he was at least a great man, and one
whose invitation was in some sense a royal command.

"Certainly, I'll be glad to go with you," was Blount's acquiescent
rejoinder. So much the registry-clerk heard; and he saw, between jabs
with his pen, the straight path to the revolving doors of the portal
ploughed by the big man with young Blount at his elbow.

One minute after the spinning doors had engulfed the pair the
registry-clerk was called on the house telephone. A sad-faced tourist
who was waiting patiently for his room assignment heard only the answer
to the question which came over the wire from one of the upper floors:
"No, Senator, Mr. Evan is not here; he has just this moment gone
out--with Mr. McVickar. Could I overtake him? I'll try; but I don't know
where they were going. Yes; all right. I'll send a boy right away."

VIII

THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT

When the news went forth to the dwellers in the sage-brush hills that
Boss David's son had been appointed to fill an important office as a
member of the railroad company's legal staff, the first wave of
astoundment was swiftly followed by many speculations as to what young
Blount's _debut_ as a railroad placeman really meant.

_The Plainsman_, the capital city's principal daily, and the outspoken
organ of the people's party, was quick to discover an ulterior motive in
Evan Blount's appointment and its acceptance. Blenkinsop, the
leader-writer on _The Plainsman_, took a half-column in which to point
out in em