s unreasonable, and he is on the point of writing to
Martha that the effort could not help but end in a ridiculous farce,
when an interruption prevents him from doing so. A card is brought to
his room. It bears the simple inscription:

A FRIEND.

"Invite the person up," Trueman tells the servant.

The apartments he occupies are in a quiet boarding house on Lincoln
Avenue. He has been in the house six weeks, during which time no one has
ever called to see him.

A minute passes in which he ransacks his mind in an attempt to think who
can have any business with him. It is half-past eight at night.

A loud rap at the door announces the visitor.

"Come in," calls Trueman.

"Good evening, Mr. Trueman." It is William Nevins who speaks.

"O, it is you, Mr. Nevins," exclaims Trueman.

"I owe you an apology," he continues, "for being surprised at seeing
you; but the fact is I am a stranger in Chicago and have had no
visitors. When your card came I could not imagine who could wish to see
me."

"I am well aware that you are a stranger in this city," Nevins replies.
"And as I am little better off I thought that I would drop in to have a
chat with you."

"We were delegates at the Anti-Trust Conference and will have much to
discuss," says Trueman, in his most affable manner. "I certainly am glad
you thought of me. Take a seat, and make yourself as comfortable as the
quarters will permit."

They seat themselves near the table. A pipe and a jar of tobacco lie on
the table.

"Will you smoke?"

Nevins shakes his head negatively, saying as he does so:

"I cannot talk and smoke at the same time. To-night I want to talk.

"The fact is I have become interested in you since your speech at the
close of the conference.

"You will remember it was I who suggested that the committee appointed
to investigate the Trust question be increased to forty.

"When I made that motion I had an object in view. I was anxious to have
you become one of the committeemen."

"Then the full committee has been appointed?" Trueman asks.

"The forty committeemen have been named. You are not among them, and the
reason is that the chairman is jealous of you."

"He can have no reason to be jealous of me."

"The fact remains that he is. I strove to get him to appoint you. He
flatly refused to do so. I could get no reason from him. So I concluded
that he fears you would outshine him in the work that the committee
contemplates doing. Your speech w