we might as well go out of the business!"

"That's true, of course," Mr. Whittier admitted; "but we are not sure
that we are being underbid unfairly."

"The Tuxedo Company have taken away three contracts from us in the past
two months," cried the junior partner; "we can be sure of that, can't
we?"

"We have lost three contracts, of course," returned Mr. Whittier, in
his most conciliatory manner, "and the Tuxedo people have captured
them. But that may be only a coincidence, after all."

"It is a pretty expensive coincidence for us," snorted Mr. Wheatcroft.

"But because we have lost money," the senior partner rejoined gently,
laying his hand on Mr. Wheatcroft's arm, "that's no reason why we
should also lose our heads. It is no reason why we should depart from
our old custom of treating every man fairly. If there is any one in our
employ here who is selling us, why, if we give him rope enough he will
hang himself, sooner or later."

"And before he suspends himself that way," cried Mr. Wheatcroft, "we
may be forced to suspend ourselves."

"Come, come, Wheatcroft," said the senior partner, "I think we can
afford to stand the loss a little longer. What we can't afford to do is
to lose our self-respect by doing something irreparable. It may be that
we shall have to employ detectives, but I don't think the time has come
yet."

"Very well," the junior partner declared, yielding an unwilling
consent. "I don't insist on it. I still think it would be best not to
waste any more time--but I don't insist. What will happen is that we
shall lose the rolling of those steel rails for the Springfield and
Athens road--that's all."

Paul Whittier had taken no part in this discussion. He agreed with his
father, and saw he had no need to urge any further argument.

Presently he asked when they intended to put in the bid for the rails.
His father then explained that they were expecting a special estimate
from the engineers at the Ramapo Works, and that it probably would be
Saturday before this could be discussed by the partners and the exact
figures of the proposed contract determined.

"And if we don't want to lose that contract for sure," insisted Mr.
Wheatcroft, "I think we had better change the combination on that
safe."

"May I suggest," said Paul, "that it seems to me to be better to leave
the combination as it is. What we want to do is not to get this
Springfield and Athens contract so much as to find out whether some on