solutely
correct, but it hardly goes far enough. Trolley cars belong to trolley
companies which operate trolley systems. That's very well put, don't
you think?"

"Very. Go on--I'm awfully interested."

"I'll put it a little more simply. The scientific attitude is too
difficult to maintain. And besides, that was just about as far as I
could go scientifically, anyway. I had much better deal with concrete
facts--or with what I hope to convert into them. Don't you agree?
Although I felt rather well in my academic habiliments."

"Much better," Miss Maitland promptly agreed. "And there would be the
additional advantage that I would quite likely know what you were
talking about, which would not be at all a certainty if you insisted on
retaining your scientific manner."

"It's this way, then," said her companion. "It's this way. John M.
Hurd, Isabel's father, my step-uncle, Mrs. Hurd's husband--John M.
Hurd, in short, is the President of the most important trolley system
in this vicinity, the Massachusetts Light, Heat, and Traction Company.
He is also, ex-officio, chairman of the board of directors, and except
for some dynamos, cars, conductors, tracks, and other equipment, he is
the trolley system."

"That sounds like Mr. Hurd," the girl acknowledged.

"Now I must ask you another leading question," the other continued.
"What do you know about fire insurance?"

"Well, I ought to know a little about it," replied Helen, "considering
the fact that my uncle, Mr. Osgood, has one of the leading fire
insurance agencies in Boston. Whenever there's a big fire he's always
quoted as 'Silas Osgood, the veteran underwriter, said so and so.'"

"You will pardon me," said Mr. Wilkinson, "if my legal method of
thought calls to your attention that 'ought to know' and 'do know' are
not in all cases coincident. My original question was, 'What do you
know about fire insurance?'"

"Not as much as I ought, I'm afraid," Helen confessed. "Uncle Silas
belongs to the school which believes in locking his business in the
safe when he leaves the office, and as he never mentions it, I know
very little about it--though I don't at all care for your legal method
of establishing my ignorance."

"A true gentleman ignores a lady's embarrassments. Fire insurance, to
put it briefly, is indemnity against losses by fire. Companies do it.
You pay them a little money called a premium--no connection with
trading stamps--and when your house bur