“This Tracy of yours,” said Wendover, “has got hold of the Minster girls. He’s acting for them. He has been before Judge Waller with a whole batch of applications. First, in chambers, he’s brought an action to dissolve the trust, and asked for an order returnable at Supreme Court chambers to show cause why, in the mean time, the furnaces shouldn’t be opened. His grounds are, first, that the woman was deceived; and second, that the trust is against public policy. Now, it seems to me that our State courts can’t issue an order binding on a board of directors at Pittsburg. Isn’t it a thing that belongs to a United States court? How is that?” “I’m sure I don’t know,” answered Horace. “It’s a new question to me.” “Tenney told me you knew something as a lawyer,” was Wendover’s angry comment. “I’d like to know where it comes in.” The hardware merchant hastened to avert the threatened return to personalities. “Tell him about the receiver motion,” he said. “Then Tracy, before the same judge, but in special term, has applied for a receiver for the Thessaly Mfg. Company, on the ground of fraud.” “That’s the meanest thing about the whole business,” commented Tenney. “Well, what do you advise doing?” asked Horace, despondently. “There are two things,” said Wendover. “First, to delay everything until after New Year, when Mrs. Minster’s interest becomes due and can’t be paid. That can be done by denying jurisdiction of the State court in the trust business, and by asking for particulars in the receiver matter. The next thing is to make Thessaly too hot for those women, and for Tracy, too, before New Year. If a mob should smash all the widow’s windows for her, for instance, perhaps burn her stable, she’d be mighty glad to get out of town, and out of the iron business, too.” “But that wouldn’t shut Tracy up,” observed Tenney. “He sticks at things like a bull-dog, once he gets a good hold.” “I’m thinking about Tracy,” mused the Judge. Horace found himself regarding these two visitors of his with something like admiration. The resourcefulness and resolution of their villainy were really wonderful. He felt his courage coming back to him. Such men would be sure to win, if victory were not absolutely impossible. At least, there was nothing for it but to cordially throw in his lot with them. “Whatever is decided upon, I’ll do my share,” he said, with decision. Upon reflection, he added: “But if I share the risks, I must be clearly understood to also share the profits.” Judge Wendover looked at the young man sternly, and breathed hard as he looked. “Upon my word,” he growled at last, “you’re the cheekiest young cub I’ve seen since before the war!” Horace stood to his guns. “However that may be,” he said, “you see what I mean. This is a highly opportune time, it strikes me, to discover just how I stand in this matter.” “You’ll stand where you’re put, or it will be the worse for you!”