hy to study a situation that not only did not require
study but scarcely permitted it by candid souls. But we affected to
agree that something must be done, which sounded very well indeed.

As a sign that she bore me no malice it was promised that I might hire a
man to plant Clem's garden that spring, with the understanding that I
should thus acquire an equity in its product. This seemed to be in the
line of that something that must be done, and Miss Caroline and I made
much of it, to avoid the situation's more embarrassing aspects.

"If I could only sell something," said my neighbor, with a vacant look
about the room--a look of humorous disparagement. "The silver is good,
but there's hardly enough of it to pay one of those debts--and I've
nothing else but Clem. But if I tried to sell him," she added brightly,
"it would only bring on trouble again with your Northern President. I
know just how it would be."

We parted on this jest. Miss Caroline, I believe, went to be scolded by
Clem for her trifling ways, while I sought out Solon Denney.

When something must be done, I seem never to know what it shall be. I
believe Solon is often quite as uncertain, but he will never confess
this, so that talk with him under such circumstances stimulates if it
does not sustain.

I put Miss Caroline's difficulties before him. As any common catalogue
of troubles will not provoke Solon from a happy unconcern which is
temperamental, I spared no details in my recital, and I observed at
length that my listener was truly aroused to the bad way in which Miss
Caroline found herself. He sat forward in his chair, rested one elbow
upon his untidy desk, and for several moments of silence jabbed an inky
pen rhythmically into the largest rutabaga ever grown in Slocum County.
At last he sat back and gazed upon me distantly from inspired eyes.
Then, with his characteristic enthusiasm, he exclaimed:--

"Something will have to be done!"

"Wonderful!" I murmured. "Here I've worried over the thing for two
months, studied it in court, studied it in my office, studied it in
bed--and couldn't make a thing out of it. All at once I am guided to a
welling fount of wisdom, and the thing is solved in a flash. Solon, you
dazzle me! Denney forever!"

"Now, don't be funny, Calvin--I mean, don't try to be--" but I arose to
go.

"You've solved it, Solon. _Something must be done._ There's the
difference between intuition and mere clumsy ratiocination. In anothe