An excellent idea," Smith said. "When do you suppose we could go and
see this Mr. Greenwood?"

"I think," said Silas Osgood, with a smile, "that we could go this
afternoon."

CHAPTER XVII

Mr. James Wintermuth had just finished a luncheon of such unusual
proportions that evidently it had attracted the respectful attention of
the Down Town Association's waiter who usually served him, and who of
late had grown almost to despair of being able ever again to bring his
client anything more substantial than a half portion of crab-flake
salad.

"Nice day, sir," the waiter suggestively remarked, as if Mr.
Wintermuth's appetite were in some curious way governed wholly by the
vagaries of the weather.

"Yes," agreed his patron, with almost a touch of embarrassment; "a very
nice day, indeed."

Mr. Wintermuth was feeling uncommonly cheerful, and the cause of it was
quite largely the oblong yellow missive then reposing on his desk. He
knew he would have to wait a day or two before he could learn the
details of Smith's doings in Boston, but it was at least a relief to
feel that some decisive action was being taken.

When, two days later, Smith returned, his report seemed eminently
satisfactory to his chief.

"I'm not a lawyer, so I can't tell you exactly what kind of court
proceedings will have to be brought," he said; "but so far as I can
make out it's a sort of action for conspiracy against the companies
belonging to the Eastern Conference, joining them all as defendants.
The Insurance Commissioner of Massachusetts comes in, too, in some way,
and I believe that under the state law as recently amended we will
finally win out."

"Finally!" said the President. "That sounds rather remote. How long
do you expect it will take? Protracted litigation is both expensive
and unsatisfactory."

"Oh, it won't cost us anything; the Insurance Commissioner nominally
brings the suit, as I understand it, and I'm sure it won't take more
than a year. But in the meantime I feel positive that we will suffer
no further annoyance or injury in New England. We've already lost
about all the agents that could be shaken loose, and with this suit
pending I fancy the Conference will go very slow before forcing the
issue further--for fear of civil actions for damages from all the
non-Conference companies if we win our conspiracy case."

"That sounds reasonable."

"It is. So I really think we need not worry much about New England for
a