father approached, "I hope you understand that I'm not even leading
you on!"

CHAPTER XVI

"STOP, LOOK, LISTEN"

Bassett and Atwill held a conference the next day and the interview was
one of length. The manager of the "Courier" came to the office in the
Boordman Building at eleven o'clock, and when Harwood went to luncheon
at one the door had not been opened. Miss Farrell, returning from her
midday repast, pointed to the closed door, lifted her brows, and held up
her forefinger to express surprise and caution. Miss Farrell's
prescience was astonishing; of women she held the lightest opinion, Dan
had learned; her concern was with the affairs of men. Harwood, intent
upon the compilation of a report of the paper-mill receivership, was
nevertheless mindful of the unwonted length of the conference. When he
returned from luncheon, Bassett had gone, but he reappeared at three
o'clock, and a little later Atwill came back and the door closed again.
This second interview was short, but it seemed to leave Bassett in a
meditative frame of mind. Wishing to discuss some points in the trial
balance of the receiver's accountant, Harwood entered and found Bassett
with his hat on, slowly pacing the floor.

"Yes; all right; come in," he said, as Harwood hesitated. He at once
addressed himself to the reports with his accustomed care. Bassett
carried an immense amount of data in his head. He understood
bookkeeping and was essentially thorough. Dan constantly found penciled
calculations on the margins of the daily reports from the paper-mill,
indicating that Bassett scrutinized the figures carefully, and he
promptly questioned any deviation from the established average of loss
and gain. Bassett threw down his pencil at the end of half an hour and
told Dan to proceed with the writing of the report.

"I'd like to file it personally so I can talk over the prospect of
getting an order of sale before the judge goes on his vacation. We've
paid the debts and stopped the flow of red ink, so we're about ready to
let go."

While they were talking Miss Farrell brought in a telegram for Harwood;
it was the summons from Mrs. Owen that he had been waiting for; she bade
him come to Montgomery the next day. He handed the message to Bassett.

"Go ahead. I'll go over there if you like and find you the necessary
bondsmen. I know the judge of the circuit court at Montgomery very well.
You go in the morning? Very well; I'll stay here till you ge