t were true in this case, you'd have to give
another reason for offence. I refuse to consider it."

"Well, unbusinesslike then, if that is better."

"Unbusinesslike? Wait. In company with three other men I'm developing a
silver mine down in Arizona. The mining claim belongs to a fifth man,
belongs to him absolutely. He knows the metal is there as well as we do;
but it's down under the ground, locked up tight in a million tons of
rock. As it is now, so far as he's concerned, it might as well be on
Mars. If left to himself alone he'd live and die and it would still be
there. He hasn't the ability nor the means to make it of use. The other
three men and myself have. We can develop it, and will; to our own
purposes, share and share alike. According to your notion there's
patronage somewhere; but exactly where? Point me the offence?"

Again Harry Randall caressed his bald crown. The argument was convincing,
almost.

"The cases are not parallel," he combated weakly, "not even similar."

"And why not?" shortly. "I'm no longer a young man particularly. I've
never had a place that I could call home in my life; never for a day that
I can remember. I want one now, fancy I see the possibility of making
one; a place where I can keep a friend now and then if I wish, where I
could even order in a supper and entertain if I saw fit. I chance to have
the ability to pay for the privilege, and am willing to pay. That's my
affair. You chance to be able to make that home possible--and
incidentally enjoy it yourself. It's like the silver mine,--mutual
benefit, share and share alike. The cases seem to me parallel, quite
parallel."

Opposite Harry Randall sat very still. In absent forgetfulness he
polished the big glasses the second time and sprung them back carefully
on his nose. But even yet he did not answer, merely sat there waiting;
awaiting the moment to counter, to refute.

"Am I not right?" asked Roberts, bluntly. "Isn't the proposition
logical?"

"Logical, yes. The logic is very good." Randall glanced up keenly. The
moment for which he had been waiting had come, more quickly than he had
expected. "So _good_ in fact that I see but one fault."

"And that?"

This time the keen eyes smiled, very candidly.

"The sole fault, so far as I can see, is that you don't believe in it
yourself."

For the space wherein one could count ten slowly the two men looked at
each other; slowly, in turn, on Roberts' firm fighter's face there fo