e to do, anything adequate to answer, in opposition to this man
more than fifteen years older than himself and having a lifelong
experience in dealing with all kinds of men. He would not yield to
Spearman like that again; it was the bewilderment of his recognition of
Spearman that had made him do it. Alan stopped his pacing and flung
himself down in the leather desk-chair which had been Corvet's. He
could hear, at intervals, Spearman's heavy, genial voice addressing the
ship men in his office; its tones--half of comradeship, half of
command--told only too plainly his dominance over those men also. He
heard Spearman's office door open and some of the men go out; after a
time it opened again, and the rest went out. He heard Spearman's voice
in the outer office, then heard it again as Spearman returned alone
into his private office.

There was a telephone upon Corvet's desk which undoubtedly connected
with the switchboard in the general office. Alan picked up the
receiver and asked for "Mr. Spearman." At once the hearty voice
answered, "Yes."

"This is Conrad."

"I thought I told you I was busy, Conrad!" The 'phone clicked as
Spearman hung up the receiver.

The quality of the voice at the other end of the wire had altered; it
had become suddenly again the harsh voice of the man who had called
down curses upon "Ben" and on men "in Hell" in Corvet's library.

Alan sat back in his chair, smiling a little. It had not been for him,
then--that pretense of an almost mocking cordiality; Spearman was not
trying to deceive or to influence Alan by that. It had been merely for
Sherrill's benefit; or, rather, it had been because, in Sherrill's
presence, this had been the most effective weapon against Alan which
Spearman could employ. Spearman might, or might not, deny to Alan his
identity with the man whom Alan had fought; as yet Alan did not know
which Spearman would do; but, at least, between themselves there was to
be no pretense about the antagonism, the opposition they felt toward
one another.

Little prickling thrills of excitement were leaping through Alan, as he
got up and moved about the room again. The room was on a corner, and
there were two windows, one looking to the east over the white and blue
expanse of the harbor and the lake; the other showing the roofs and
chimneys, the towers and domes of Chicago, reaching away block after
block, mile after mile to the south and west, till they dimmed and
blurred