"And—I’m not a rich man, Mr. Huber." Luke’s face showed his disgust. "I shan’t pay you a cent," he said; "but I daresay Leighton won’t mind paying. Only even he won’t buy a pig in a poke. Give me those papers. If they’re worth anything, I’ll take you into the District-Attorney’s room right away—or, if there’s somebody in there, I’ll have him out here." Rollins realized that Luke meant what he said. He believed, moreover, that his inquisitor was merely cautious. "All right," he agreed, though with some reluctance. "This is a letter from my employer to a man that always had to return such letters after he’s read them. The other letter is the letter from the rail manufacturers that’s referred to in the first one. I got them both by——" "I can guess how," said Luke. He put out his hand and into it Rollins placed two sheets of paper, that were headed on top simply by an embossed Wall Street address and dated almost five years before. Luke read: "_Confidential_. "MR. ROBERT M. DOHAN, "Delaware Avenue, "Buffalo, N. Y. "DEAR MR. DOHAN: "I understand that the bill of which you have spoken to me will be passed and become a law to-day. I have just seen Messrs. Hallett and Rivington and have secured their agreement to the plan outlined in my personal conversation with you last week. In view of the favors that you have done me in the past, I think it fair to tell you, _for your own use only_, that my friends have decided that they and I ought to do what you thought they might decide, viz.: unload at the end of five years. Considering your contemplated resignation next year, this will not affect you, except favorably in case you care to manipulate your own holdings in accordance with this news. "I note what you say about the estimate submitted by the construction-department; also the letter of the steel-rail manufacturers which you inclosed, in which they say that the grade I suggested might not wear well. I think their use of the word ’dangerous’ is absurdly exaggerated. We have used this grade on several of our roads and feel sure from long experience that, with proper repair-gangs, it will wear for five years as well as the best. "My desire and the desire of my associates is to protect the interests of the stockholders. With that in mind, I should state, what you have probably already gathered, that we feel that the new line must be built and operated with all possible economy." The signature was the signature that Luke expected. "Those rails," said Rollins, "weren’t replaced. Dohan resigned, and these letters have been in our office ever since. The crowd was planning to unload in November." "Yes," said Luke dryly. His face was immobile and his voice calm, but his heart seemed to beat against his ribs, demanding freedom. "Come on in here to Mr. Leighton’s office."