e able to pay up his next instalment. Tell him I'm goin' to
foreclose an' drive him out. While you're at it you can show him the
plum foolishness of sickin' his idiot girl on Stephen. How it won't
bring 'em any good an' will jus' get me out on his trail red-hot.
He'll understand." And the stern old mouth set into lines of which
Blenham read the full and emphatic meaning. "Go on: anything else to
report?"

After his fashion in business matters he had pondered deeply but
briefly upon this interference of Terry, had planned, had instructed
his agent, and now turned to whatever might next demand his attention
in connection with his campaign against and for Steve Packard. And
Blenham, deeming that he had scored a certain point, moved straight on
to another.

"He said--an' she watched an' listened an' giggled--as how he was in
right an' you was in wrong; as how the law was on his side an' he'd
stick it out; how he could take the whole ruction into court an' beat
you; how----"

Old Hell-Fire Packard stared at him, mumbling heavily:

"He said that? Stephen, my gran'son said that?"

"Yes," lied Blenham glibly. "Them was his words. An', not knowin' a
whole lot about law an' such----"

He ended there, knowing that his words went unheeded. The look upon
the old man's face changed slowly from one of pure amazement to one of
pain, grief, disappointment. Stephen, his gran'son, threatened to go
to law! It was unthinkable that any one save a thief and an out-right
scoundrel, such by the way as were all of his business rivals and the
men who refused to tote and carry at his bidding, should make a threat
like that; worse than unthinkable, utterly, depravedly disgraceful that
one of the house of Packard should resort to such devious and damnable
practices. For an instant Blenham thought that tears were actually
gathering in the weary old eyes.

But the emotion which came first was gone in a scurry before a sudden
windy rage. The face which had been graven with humiliation and
chagrin went fiery red; the big hands clenched and were uplifted; the
great booming voice trembled to the shouted words:

"Let him; burn him, let him! I can break the fool quicker that way
than any other; don't he know it takes money, money without end, for
the perjurin', trickery, slippery law sharks that'll bleed a man, aye,
suck out his life-blood an' then spit him out like the pulp of an
orange? Infernal young puppy-dawg! See what it's d