t of Albert Page's vigorous efforts to attain success was not
lost upon his friend Frank.

After their Christmas visit to Sandgate Albert had applied himself
diligently to the care of Mr. Nason's legal needs. This brought him into
contact with other business men and the fact that John Nason employed
him easily secured for him other clients. In two months he not only had
Mr. Nason's affairs to look after, but all his remaining time was taken
up by others'. He had spent several evenings at the Nasons' home, and
found the family a much more agreeable one than Frank had led him to
expect. Both that young man's sisters were bright and agreeable young
ladies, and though a little affected, they treated him with charming
courtesy and extended to him a cordial invitation to have his sister
make them a visit. A good-looking, well-educated, and well-behaved young
man, no matter if he is poor, will find favor wherever he goes, and
Albert was no exception.

Since the day he had shaken his fist at the closed door of Mr. Frye's
law office he had met that hawk-nosed lawyer twice and received only a
chilling bow. The memory of that contemptible contract he had tacitly
allowed Frye to consider as made brought a blush to his face every time
he thought of it, but he kept his own counsel. Once or twice he had been
on the point of telling Frank the whole story, but had refrained,
feeling it would do no good, and might cause trouble. He was a thorough
believer in the truism that if you give a calf rope enough, he will hang
himself, and a rascal time, he will get caught.

In his intimate relations with John Nason he saw enough to satisfy
himself that Frye's insinuation against that busy man's character was
entirely false. Mr. Nason seldom spent an evening away from his home,
and when he did, it was to attend the theatre with his family.

After their visit to Sandgate Frank and himself naturally drifted into
more intimate relations, and a day seldom passed that Frank did not step
into his office for a chat.

"Don't mind me, Bert," that uneasy man would say when he saw that Page
was busy, "and if you don't want me to talk any time, tell me to shut
up. I shan't feel offended. The fact is, I don't know what to do with
myself. If it were only summer I'd go off on the 'Gypsy,' even if I had
to go alone."

One evening at the club he made Albert a rather surprising proposition.
Albert, who seldom entered into any card games, and only occasionall