The lumberjack stood for a moment, nodding his red head; then he turned slowly and went out. Marvin put the coffee-pot on the stove, watched it a minute, and then sank thoughtfully into the shabby but comfortable arm-chair at the end of his reading-table--which also served as a dining-table. He sat there for several minutes--until the coffee, boiling over on the stove, brought him out of his reverie and to his feet. At the same moment he caught the sound of remote but high words coming from that part of his land where the recently cut timber was stacked. "I tell you he bane gone away!" he heard, in Oscar's heavy, threatening voice. Hurriedly pushing the coffee-pot on to the back of the stove, he sprang to the door, but before he could reach it it was thrust in against him and he was thrown back into the middle of the room, where he stood, perforce, facing a tall, athletic-looking man in motor togs. The man's strong, intellectual face, undoubtedly pleasant and agreeable ordinarily, was now clouded with anger, his jaw set and grim. At sight of him, however, Marvin's fists unclenched and he smiled amiably, despite the other's attitude. "Why, hello, Mr. Harper!" he exclaimed, holding out his hand. "You're just the man I've been looking for! But you seem a bit upset. What's the trouble?" Ignoring the outstretched hand, Harper threw off his duster and tossed it, with his gloves, on the table. "Just a minute, young man," he said, with a grim tightening of his jaw and his keen eyes boring into Marvin's. "Just a minute. I came here to have a look for myself and to see precisely where I stand." He turned and carefully closed the door. Marvin went to the stove and calmly poured himself a cup of coffee. "Well," he remarked, with a laugh, "won't you have a chair and some coffee first--you can shoot just as easily sitting down." Harper, his hand at his belt, glared at him. "You don't think I mean business, do you?" he said, grimly. "Or perhaps you think you have beaten me to it, eh? Now what sort of man are you and what nice little game is this you are playing? Here I buy a grove of timber from you, and while my back is turned you sell the property, timber and all, to the railroad! I want an explanation and I want it now!" "You have the facts a bit mixed up," Marvin replied, still smiling and nodding toward the chair, at the same time placing the coffee on the table. "Sit down and we'll talk it over--and I think you'll decide not to shoot!" Harper, however, was adamant. "All right," said Marvin. "In the first place, when I sold you the timber you said you were going to cut it at once--" "Correct--correct! But something came up and I could not attend to it--and I don't see how that exculpates you in the least!"