so."

"Come now, do you mean to tell me any one honestly believes there is
any danger of another really big fire here?" rejoined Mr. Hurd, almost
contemptuously; but under the surface Charlie believed that his
attitude of contempt was more or less assumed. He believed he had made
a distinct impression, and it was therefore almost with a gambler's
instinct that he brought forth his trump card.

"I tell you, sir," he said, with all the impressiveness he could
command, "that the best technical engineers--not alarmists, but men who
are careful students of such things--agree that the danger here is as
great as in any of the big cities of the United States. The
conflagration hazard in the congested district of Boston is not a thing
one can exactly calculate, but it would be difficult to overestimate
its gravity."

Mr. Hurd regarded him with amazement.

"Would you mind repeating that?" he asked at length.

"Certainly not, since I know it to be true. I say that the
conflagration hazard in the congested district of Boston is not a thing
one can exactly calculate, but it would be difficult to overestimate
its gravity."

The traction magnate walked slowly to the window, and looked out. On
the sunny pavements below him people were going back and forth on their
various concerns. Around the corner came the familiar delivery wagon
of a well-known dealer in wholesale groceries. Somehow the sight of
these common things restored to Mr. Hurd his ordinary tranquillity of
mind, which he now saw had been disturbed by the astonishing utterances
of his plausible young relation. He smiled rather grimly when he
thought of how near he had come to being impressed by what Charlie had
said. Of course, there could be nothing in it; certainly not, from
such a source. It was the old John M. Hurd who turned again to face
his visitor, who with but one card left to play awaited breathlessly
but with outward nonchalance the effect of his cherished speech.

"Well, I've enjoyed talking this over with you, Charlie," the older man
said with candor. "There's something in what you say, too. Perhaps
our insurance fund isn't as large as it ought to be. But I couldn't
consider carrying insurance for the Massachusetts Light, Heat, and
Traction Company. And why are you so interested in this, all of a
sudden, anyway?"

"Partly philanthropic and partly mercenary," said his nephew, easily.
"Philanthropic, because I would like to do something of re