to the fact that the inscription, which was supposed to
have been cut in the eleventh century, contained script characters
which appeared in no northern alphabet prior to the sixteen hundreds.
And what is more, when they looked it up, they found that he was right."

"That is really very interesting," Helen said.

"It gave me a respect for him that I'd never had before, anyway,"
rejoined Smith. "Think of the old General knowing anything at all
about Icelandic sagas--and the offhand way he picked out the
anachronism and smashed it in the eye. No--so far as I am concerned,
he is entitled to his holiday. Long may it wave--especially as I hope
to see you, if you'll let me, while if it were an ordinary business day
I should probably have to devote myself to certain distinguished legal
gentlemen."

"How is the lawsuit progressing?" asked the girl.

Smith surveyed her doubtfully.

"Have you seen Mr. Osgood recently?" he inquired suspiciously. "One
time, you remember, you made me tell a long story all of which you knew
perfectly well before I began."

"No--honestly," Helen laughingly denied. "I have hardly seen Uncle
Silas for two or three weeks, and the last time we met, he said nothing
about it."

"Well, then, in confidence it is my hope and belief that unless our
present expectations fall through with a sickening thud, another month
or two will see the Guardian and your uncle back in the office that
neither of them should ever have left."

"Not really!" said the girl, delighted.

"I have no longer any real doubt of it," Smith said seriously. "It can
hardly fail now. I don't mind saying to you that it's about time, too.
The Conference has made a good fight; but they were beaten from the
start, and they know it now. And I'll be very glad to see some Boston
business coming in to us again, I can assure you."

"Haven't you been getting any this last year?"

"Only a little, principally suburban business through a small agent
named George Greenwood. Of course we got a lot through Sternberg,
Bloom, and McCoy, but it was so bad that I canceled nearly every policy
they wrote for us. All the Guardian has left in the down-town district
is some building business--a few lines written by the Osgood office for
three or five years, and which haven't expired yet. And there aren't
many of them, for Cole switched some into the Salamander, and besides,
we always tried to keep our congested district business on an annual