The colonel nodded. "At your service, sir," he replied, and waited grimly--perhaps not unsuspicious of the nature of his visitor's errand, since he could not have been ignorant of his place in Radville. Duncan had his own way of getting at things--generally more circuitous than now, though he struck on a tangent sufficiently acute momentarily to puzzle Bohun. "May I inquire, sir, if you are acquainted with the firm of L.J. Bartlett & Company of New York?" "I have heard of it, Mr. Duncan, through the newspapers." "You know that it ranks pretty high, then, I presume?" "I understand that such is the case." "Then would you mind doing me the favour of writing to Mr. Henry Kellogg, the junior partner, and asking him about me?" The colonel stiffened. "May I ask why I should do anything so uncalled-for?" "Because it isn't uncalled-for, sir. I mean, you won't think so after I've explained." Bohun inclined his head, searching Nat's face with his keen, bright eyes. "You see, sir, it's this way: I want you to entrust me with a considerable sum of money, and naturally you wouldn't do that without knowing something about me." "I incline very much to doubt that I should do it in any event, Mr. Duncan." "Oh, don't say that. You don't know the circumstances, as yet." Nat jerked his head earnestly at the colonel. "You see, you're said to be one of the richest men in town, and I'm certainly one of the poorest, so of course I turn to you in a case like this." "In a case like what, Mr. Duncan?" Something in the young man's manner seemed to tickle the colonel; Duncan could have sworn that the eyes were twinkling beneath the savagely knitted brows. "Well, you must understand I'm in business here in Radville--a partner in a growing and prospering concern--ah--doing--very well, in point of fact." "Yes?" "But we haven't any spare capital; in fact, we haven't got any capital worth mentioning. But the business is entirely sound and solvent." "I congratulate you, sir." "Thank you very much.... Now I'm interested in a rather singular case: that of a young woman--a girl, I should say--daughter of my partner. She's a good girl and wonderfully sweet and fine, sir. She comes of one of the best families in these parts--" "On her mother's side," suggested the colonel drily. "So I'm told, sir. But she's been neglected. Circumstances have been against her. She hasn't had a real chance in life, but she ought to have it, and I'm going to see that she gets it, one way or another." "You haven't finished?" said the colonel coldly, as he paused for breath and thought. "Not quite, sir," said Duncan. "Good sign!" he told himself: "he hasn't ordered me thrown out yet." And he hurried on, speaking quickly in the semi-humorous style he had, more arresting to the attention than absolute gravity would have been.