ered much about Marian and dramatized to herself the girl's
arrival at college. It did not seem credible that Mrs. Bassett was
preparing Marian for college because she, Sylvia Garrison, was enrolled
there. Sylvia was kindly disposed toward all the world, and she resented
Harwood's insinuations. As for Mrs. Owen and Dan's intimations that
Marian must be educated to satisfy the great aunt's ideals as
represented in Sylvia--well, Sylvia had no patience whatever with any
such idea.

CHAPTER XIII

THE WAYS OF MARIAN

The historian may not always wait for the last grain of sand to mark the
passing of an hour; he must hasten the flight of time frequently by
abrupt reversals of the glass. Much competent evidence (to borrow from
the lawyers) we must reject as irrelevant or immaterial to our main
issue. Harwood was admitted to practice in the United States courts
midway of his third year in Bassett's office. The doors of the state
courts swing inward to any Hoosier citizen of good moral character who
wants to practice law,--a drollery of the Hoosier constitution still
tolerated. The humor of being a mere "constitutional" lawyer did not
appeal to Harwood, who revered the traditions and the great names of his
chosen profession, and he had first written his name on the rolls of the
United States District Court.

His work for Bassett grew more and more congenial. The man from Fraser
was concentrating his attention on business; at least he found plenty of
non-political work for Dan to do. After the troubled waters in Ranger
County had been quieted and Bassett's advanced outpost in the Boordman
Building had ceased to attract newspaper reporters, an important
receivership to which Bassett had been appointed gave Harwood
employment of a semi-legal character. Bassett had been a minor
stockholder in a paper-mill which had got into difficulties through
sheer bad management, and as receiver he addressed himself to the task
of proving that the business could be made to pay. The work he assigned
to Harwood was to the young man's liking, requiring as it did
considerable travel, visits to the plant, which was only a few hours'
journey from the capital, and negotiations which required the exercise
of tact and judgment. However, Harwood found himself ineluctably drawn
into the state campaign that fall. Bassett was deeply engaged in all the
manoeuvres, and Harwood was dispatched frequently on errands to county
chairmen, and his aid was