“He's the man that blocks our game, if he is a fool. If anything should happen to him, there wouldn't be any question as to who was receiver of the road.” Porter said nothing and there was a long silence. Then McNally went on, speaking slowly and guardedly:-- “If there is anything of a mix-up such a thing would be likely enough to happen. He's young enough and cocky enough to get hurt quite naturally.” Then Porter spoke quickly, for he read the unsaid meaning in the words. “That's going too far. I want the road, but not that way.” McNally's drooping lids quivered, but otherwise his face was expressionless. He made no pretence that Porter had misunderstood him. He spoke as though unheeding the interruption. “If we bring about his disappearance for a day or two,--it needn't hurt him any,--we'll control the road, fight or no fight.” He had meant to say something more, but he stopped, his eyes fixed on the opening door. Following his gaze Porter turned. “Katherine!” he exclaimed. With automatic courtesy, McNally rose and drew up a chair for her, but Katherine did not take it. She had worn a high-collared black velvet cloak over her house dress, and she drew it off and threw it over the desk. Then coming up behind her father she touched his forehead lightly with her cool hands. “Keeping everlastingly at it,” she said, trying to speak lightly, “without any dinner or anything. Is business getting so very, very serious?” The tenderness of it touched Porter, and though he felt that she should not be there he could not send her away. “We're right in the thick of it now,” he said. “It will all be over one way or the other in a day or two.” “And then,” said Katherine, with a little laugh, “and then I'll have somebody to play with again.” She stooped and kissed him, and then noticing that McNally was still standing she addressed him for the first time. “Please don't wait for me to sit down. I'm going to stay right here.” Porter yielded to the restfulness of having her there and sat with closed eyes, while she stroked the trembling lids with the tips of her fingers. Neither of the men spoke, and at last Katherine broke the silence. “Don't you think,” she said to her father, “that everything would go just as well if you came home with me now and took a little rest? You'll feel lots better to-morrow, if you do, and there's a to-morrow coming, you know. It isn't likely that anything more will happen tonight, is it?” “I'm afraid it is,” said McNally. “You see we think Weeks is coming down the line now, with a trainful of armed men, and he may force us into a fight before morning.” “I see,” said Katherine. “That is, when his army meets the one you sent up the line this afternoon.” Porter moved his head free from her hands and asked sharply,-- “What do you know about that, dear?” “Just what Senator Jones told me,” she answered. “He got off the train at Sawyerville and drove over to the Club to telephone.”