dear old friend of mine living at Hindhead, too--in
fact, in the same house. To tell you the truth, dear old Fred Pole,
she's married to the other ship. And there'll be the _Hamilton_,
another precious old soul, a very, very, very, very dear friend of mine
who's comin' home shortly----"

"Well, what shall we say, Mr. Tibbetts?" said Fred, who had an early
luncheon appointment. "Would you care to buy the two boats at the same
price we gave your uncle for them?"

Bones rang his bell.

"I'm a business man, dear old Fred," said he soberly. "There's no time
like the present, and I'll fix the matter--_now!_"

He said "now" with a ferociousness which was intended to emphasize his
hard and inflexible business character.

Fred came into the private office of Pole & Pole after lunch that day,
and there was in his face a great light and a peace which was almost
beautiful.

But never beamed the face of Fred so radiantly as the countenance of
the waiting Joe. He lay back in his chair, his cigar pointing to the
ceiling.

"Well, Fred?"--there was an anthem in his voice.

"Very well, Joe." Fred hung up his unnecessary umbrella.

"I've sold the _Fairies_!"

Joe said it and Fred said it. They said it together. There was the
same lilt of triumph in each voice, and both smiles vanished at the
identical instant.

"_You've_ sold the _Fairies_!" they said.

They might have been rehearsing this scene for months, so perfect was
the chorus.

"Wait a bit, Joe," said Fred; "let's get the hang of this. I
understand that you left the matter to me."

"I did; but, Fred, I was so keen on the idea I had that I had to nip in
before you. Of course, I didn't go to him as Pole & Pole----"

"To him? What him?" asked Fred, breathing hard.

"To What's-his-name--Bones."

Fred took his blue silk handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his
face.

"Go on, Joe," he said sadly

"I got him just before he went out to lunch. I sent up the United
Merchant Shippers' card--it's our company, anyway. Not a word about
Pole & Pole."

"Oh, no, of course not!" said Fred.

"And, my boy,"--this was evidently Joe's greatest achievement, for he
described the fact with gusto--"not a word about the names of the
ships. I just sold him two steamers, so and so tonnage, so and so
classification----"

"For how much?"

Fred was mildly curious. It was the curiosity which led a certain
political prisoner to feel the edge of the axe before it b