his infancy, and as soon as Roy
was old enough to go to boarding-school his father had given up
housekeeping. The club had been his home ever since. Grant reflected on
this situation with some satisfaction. He would at least be spared the
unpleasantness of discharging a houseful of servants and disposing of
the family furniture. As for the club--he had no notion for that. A
couple of rooms in some quiet apartment house, where he could cook a
meal to his own liking as the fancy took him; that was his picture of
something as near domestic happiness as was possible for a single man
rather sadly out of his proper environment.

Grant reached his old home city late at night, and after a quiet cigar
and a stroll through some of the half-forgotten streets he put up at one
of the best hotels. He was deferentially shown to a room about as large
as the whole Landson house; soft lights were burning under pink shades;
his feet fell noiselessly on the thick carpets. He placed a chair by a
window, where he could watch the myriad lights of the city, and tried
to appraise the new sphere in which he found himself. It would be a very
different game from riding the ranges or roping steers, but it would be
a game, nevertheless; a game in which he would have to stand on his
own resources even more than in those brave days in the foothills. He
relished the notion of the game even while he was indifferent to the
prize. He had no clear idea what he eventually should do with his
wealth; that was something to think about very carefully in the days and
years to come. In the meantime his job was to handle a big business in
the way it should be handled. He must first prove his ability to make
money before he showed the world how little he valued it.

He turned the water into his bath; there was a smell about the towels,
the linen, the soap, that was very grateful to his nostrils....

In the morning he passed by the office of Grant & Son. He did not turn
in, but pursued his way to a door where a great brass plate announced
the law firm of Barrett, Jones, Barrett, Deacon & Barrett. He smiled
at this elaboration of names; it represented three generations of the
Barrett family and two sons-in-law. Grant found himself speculating
over a name for the Landson ranch; it might have been Landson, Grant,
Landson, Murphy, Skinny & Pete....

He entered and inquired for Mr. Barrett, senior.

"Mr. David Barrett, senior, sir; he's out of the city, sir; he has n