t land to?"

"He sold it to his brother, Bailey Kendrick, and Bailey Kendrick was my
father. Under my father's will what little property he had came to me.
If anything is sure in this world, it is that that land occupied by Mrs.
Barnes belonged, legally, to me."

Neither of his hearers spoke immediately. Then E. Holliday sprang to his
feet.

"It belongs to you, does it!" he shouted. "It belongs to you? All right,
so much the better. I can buy of you as well as anybody else. That's why
you sent me back your retainer, was it? So you and I could trade man to
man. All right! I don't believe it yet, but I'll listen to you. What's
your proposition?"

John shook his head.

"No," he said. "You're wrong there. I sent you the retainer because I
wished to be absolutely free to do as I pleased with what was mine. I
couldn't remain in your employ and act contrary to your interests--or,
according to my way of thinking, I couldn't. As I saw it I did not own
that land--morally, at least. So, having resigned my employment with
you I--well, I gave the land to the person who, by all that is right
and--and HONEST, should own it. I had the deed made out in her name and
I sent it to her an hour ago."

Captain Obed had guessed it. Now HE sprang from his chair.

"John Kendrick," he shouted, in huge delight, "you gave that land to
Thankful Barnes. The deed was in that big envelope Winnie S. Holt was
takin' to her this very mornin'!"

The happenings of the next few minutes were noisy and profane. E.
Holliday Kendrick was responsible for most of the noise and all of the
profanity. He stormed up and down the office, calling his cousin every
uncomplimentary name that occurred to him, vowing the whole story to
be a lie, and that the land should be his anyway; threatening suit and
personal vengeance. His last words, as he strode to the door, were:

"And--and you're the fellow, the poor relation, that I gave my business
to just from kindness! All right! I haven't finished with you yet."

John's answer was calm, but emphatic.

"Very well," he said. "But this you must understand: I consider myself
under no obligation whatever to you, Mr. Kendrick. In the very beginning
of our business relationship you and I had a plain talk. I told you when
I consented to act as your attorney that I did so purely as a matter of
business and that philanthropy and kinship were to have no part in it.
And when you first mentioned your intention of forcing Mrs.