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Rh merchants were supposed to be interested in the venture.

Of course the newspaper item was right in some particulars, but it was terribly overdrawn, and I could not help but smile as I read it.

I wondered what Mr. Stillwell would say when he saw it. I determined to keep the paper away from him, it being time enough for him to hear of what had happened when he arrived in New York.

By the time I had finished reading the train was approaching the upper part of the city.

"Let me see the paper," said Mr. Stillwell.

As he spoke I had the paper rolled up and resting on the sill of the window, which was open. Not wishing to refuse him directly, I gave the sheet a slight shove with my arm, and this sent it fluttering away.

"It's gone," I replied. "It's dropped out of the window."

"You threw it out on purpose," he growled. "Luke, you're getting more uncivil every day."

"We have different opinions about that," I returned, with an air of utter indifference.

I knew he was too close to town to buy a paper then. There would be one at the office and he would wait until he could get that.