ice books. By the
way, Mr. Harwood, what are you doing out there?" he asked, moving his
head slightly toward the outer office.

"I'm reading law."

"Is it possible! The other youngsters in the office seem to be talking
politics or reading newspapers most of the time. How do you manage to
live?"

"I do some work for the 'Courier' from time to time."

"Ah! You are careful not to let your legal studies get mixed with the
newspaper work?"

"Yes, sir. They put me on meetings, and other night assignments. As to
the confidences of this office, you need have no fear of my--"

"I haven't, Mr. Harwood. Let me see. It was of you Professor Sumner
wrote me last year; he's an old friend of mine. He said he thought you
had a sinewy mind--a strong phrase for Sumner."

"He never told me that," said Dan, laughing. "He several times implied
quite the reverse."

"He's a great man--Sumner. I suppose you absorbed a good many of his
ideas at New Haven."

"I hope I did, sir: I believe in most of them anyhow."

"So do I, Mr. Harwood."

Fitch pointed to a huge pile of manuscript on a table by the window. It
was a stenographic transcript of testimony in a case which had been lost
in the trial court and was now going up on appeal.

"Digest that evidence and give me the gist of it in not more than five
hundred words. That's all."

Harwood's hand was on the door when Fitch arrested him with a word.

"To recur to this private transaction between us, you have not the
remotest idea what was in that letter, and nothing was said in the
interview that gave you any hint--is that entirely correct?"

"Absolutely."

"Very well. I know nothing of the matter myself; I am merely
accommodating a friend. We need not refer to this again."

When the door had closed, the lawyer wrote a brief note which he placed
in his pocket, and dropped later into a letter-box with his own hand.
Mr. Fitch, of the law firm of Wright and Fitch, was not in the habit of
acting as agent in matters he didn't comprehend, and his part in
Harwood's errand was not to his liking. He had spoken the truth when he
said that he knew no more of the nature of the letter that had been
carried to Professor Kelton than the messenger, and Harwood's replies
to his interrogatories had told him nothing.

Many matters, however, pressed upon his attention and offered abundant
exercise for his curiosity. With Harwood, too, pleased to have for the
first time in his life one hundred dol