took a lot of pounding to lick Jim Weeks."




CHAPTER II


MR. McNALLY GOES TO TILLMAN CITY

It was Monday morning, September 23d. The telephone bell on the big
mahogany desk rang twice before Jim Weeks laid down the sheet of paper he
was scrutinizing and picked up the receiver.

"Hello! Oh, that you, Fox? Yes--Yes. Hold on! Give me that name again.
Frederick McNally. Dartmouth Building, did you say? Yes. Thank you.
Good-by."

The bell tinkled again and Jim swung round in his chair.

There was another desk in the room, where sat a young man busy over a pile
of letters. He was private secretary to a man who was president of one
railroad and director in others, and his life was not easy. The letters he
was working over were with one exception addressed to the Hon. James
Weeks, Washington Building, Chicago. The exception was a pale blue note
addressed to Mr. Harvey West, and the young man had put that at the bottom
of the pile and was working down to it.

The elder man spoke. "West," he said, "Fox has just telephoned me that
he's found out who's been buying M. & T. stock. It's Frederick McNally;