, you know. What's on your mind?"

"This Marsh Pulp Company," said Sam; "do you know anything about pulp
and paper?"

"A little bit. You know I have some stock in Princeman's company."

"Oh," returned Sam thoughtfully.

"Not enough to hurt, however," Stevens went on. "Twenty shares, I
believe. When I went in I had several times as much, but not enough to
make me a dominant factor by any means, and Princeman, as he made more
money, wanted some of it, so I let him buy up quite a number of shares.
At one time I was very much interested, however, and visited the mills
quite frequently."

"You're rather close to Princeman in a business way, aren't you?" Sam
asked after duly cautious reflection.

"Not at all, although we get along very nicely indeed. I made money on
my paper stock, both in dividends and in a very comfortable advance
when I sold it. Our relations have always been friendly, but very
little more. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Only Princeman is much interested in my Pulp Company,
and all the people who are going in are his friends. The crowd over at
Meadow Brook talks of taking up approximately the entire stock of my
company. I thought possibly you might be interested."

"I am right now, from what I have already heard of it," returned
Stevens, who had almost at first sight succumbed to that indefinable
personal appeal which caused Sam Turner to be trusted of all men. "I
shall be very glad to hear more about it. It struck me when you spoke
of it yesterday as a very good proposition."

They had reached the dark corner at the far end of the porch, illumined
only by the subdued light which came from a half-hidden window, and now
they sat down. Sam fished in the little armpit pocket of his dress
coat and dragged forth two tiny samples of pulp and two tiny samples of
paper.

"These two," he stated, "were samples sent me to-day by my kid brother."

Mr. Stevens took the samples and examined them with interest. He felt
their texture. He twisted them and crumpled them and bent them
backward and forward and tore them. Then, the light at this window
being too weak, he went to one of the broad windows where a stronger
stream of light came out, and examined them anew. Sam, still sitting
in his chair, nodded in satisfied approval. He liked that kind of
inspection. Mr. Stevens brought the samples back.

"They are excellent, so far as I am able to judge," he announced.
"These are samples made by yourselve