s of the total of three
hundred; Thatcher owns the rest and he was satisfied to let it go that
way. He signed an agreement that I should manage the paper, and said he
didn't want anything but dividends."

"Mrs. Owen's interest is subject to your wishes, of course; that goes
without saying."

"Well, I guaranteed eight per cent on her investment, but we've made it
lately, easily. I've now got to devise some means of getting rid of
Thatcher; but we'll let him cool till after the convention. Mrs. Owen
won't be back for several weeks, I suppose?"

"No; she and Miss Garrison will return immediately after the
commencement exercises."

"Well, Thatcher brought that suit, thinking that if he could throw the
paper into a receivership he'd run up the price when it came to be sold
and shake me out. He knew, too, that it would annoy Mrs. Owen to be
involved in litigation. It's surprising that he would incur her wrath
himself; she's always been mighty decent to Ed and kind to his boy. But
I'll have to buy her stock and let her out; it's a delicate business,
and for Mrs. Bassett's sake I've got to get her aunt out as quickly as
possible."

"That, of course, will be easily managed. It's too bad she's away just
now."

"It was the first time I ever asked her help in any of my business
affairs, and it's unfortunate. The fact is that Mrs. Bassett doesn't
know of it."

He rose and crossed the room slowly with his hands thrust deep into his
trousers pockets.

"But if Mrs. Owen is guaranteed against loss there's no ground for
criticizing you," said Dan. "There's nothing to trouble about on that
side of it, I should think."

"Oh, I'm not troubling about that," replied Bassett shortly. He shrugged
his shoulders and walked to the window, gazing out on the street in
silence for several minutes. Then he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I told you, Dan, when you opened our office in the Boordman Building,
that if ever the time came when you didn't want to serve me any longer
you were to feel free to quit. You are under no obligations to me of any
sort. I caught a bargain in you; you have been useful to me in many
ways; you have carried nearly the whole burden of the paper-mill
receivership in a way to win me the praise of the court and all others
interested. If you should quit me to-night I should still be your
debtor. I had about decided to leave you out of my calculations in
politics; you have the making of a good lawyer and if you