Carringford proceeded to shake hands with the lawyer, after greeting Mrs. Parmly effusively.  There was a smile as of triumph on his sallow face.

“Glad to find you here in Bridgeton, Mr. Smedley,” Randolph again said, his voice like oil and his manner confident and condescending.  “I received the notification from you when over in France working in a secret capacity for the Government.”

“Yes,” remarked the lawyer, “I sent both out as required.”

“Must say,” continued Carringford, “I wasn’t much surprised, because I always knew Uncle Joshua to be a queer old duck.  Realizing that unless I got a move on me and beat Cousin Jack home I’d stand to lose out in the game I managed to get passage on the La Bretagne, of the French Line.  Docked at one last night, couldn’t get a train till morning; but here I am, sir, ready to convince you that, being the first on the ground, my claim is perfectly valid.”

He evidently expected that his coming would have produced something akin to consternation in the Parmly family, and must have wondered how they could meet bitter disappointment with such smiling faces.

“You have made very good time in crossing, Randolph,” remarked the lawyer calmly, “considering the tempestuous times, and need of caution on account of the U-boats.  I should say that the French steamer surpassed her record.”

“And that being the case,” resumed the other, smiling still as a winner at the races might do when handed his stake ten times multiplied, “since I’m here on the ground first, and you are the lawyer in the matter, what’s to hinder our completing the formalities necessary to put me in possession of my great uncle’s estate, according to his last will and testament?”

“The only stumbling-block that I’m aware of, Randolph,” said Mr. Smedley suavely, “is a little matter of priority.”

“But I am the first to appear before you, Mr. Smedley, and there were but two contestants for the property.  Isn’t that true?” demanded the newcomer, frowning at the thought that some unexpected legal tangle was about to appear.

“You are perfectly right in one thing, Randolph,” continued the lawyer.  “The race was to be between you and Jack.  I must say you have made very good time getting over here.  But in spite of your speed, Randolph, you are showing up somewhat late.  In fact, the affair is all over, and I have started proceedings looking to conveying the property to the one undoubtedly presenting the prior claim.”

The other was thunderstruck.

“Impossible, I tell you, Smedley!” he burst out.  “With my own eyes I saw Jack Parmly over there at the front in France when I hurried to the port to embark on La Bretagne.  He was not aboard that ship, I can take my oath, and another couldn’t arrive in New York for days.  So you have no other resource but to admit my claim to be just, and hand over what belongs to me.  I demand it, sir.”