had been found, torn in three pieces, thrust between the leaves of one of the books that she used to study at the normal school.  It directly implicated Vandover—­it was evidence that could not be gainsaid.  Geary had resolved to push the case against his old chum.  Vandover ought to see that with Geary it was a matter of business; he, Geary, was only an instrument of the law; if Geary did not take the case some other lawyer would.  At any rate, whether Van would see it in this light or not, Geary was determined to take the case; it was too good an opportunity to let slip; he was going to make his way in the law or he would know the reason why.  Every man for himself, that was what he said.  It might be damned selfish, but it was human nature; if he had to sacrifice Van, so much the worse.  It was evident that his old college chum was going to the dogs anyway, but come whatever would, he, Geary, was going to be a success.  Ah, you bet, he would make his way and he would make his money.

Ever since he had come into his little patrimony Geary had been making offers to Vandover for his block in the Mission.  Geary would offer only eight thousand dollars, but Brunt steadily advised Vandover against listening to such a figure, assuring him that the property was valued at twelve thousand six hundred.  Vandover had often wondered at Geary’s persistence in the matter, and had often asked him what he could possibly want of the block.  But Geary was very vague in his replies, generally telling Vandover that there was money in the investment if one could and would give the proper attention to pushing it.  He told Vandover that he—­Vandover—­was no business man, which was the lamentable truth, and would much prefer to live upon the interest of his bonds rather than to be continually annoyed by defective plumbing, complaints, and repairs.  The truth of the matter was that Geary knew that a certain immense boot and shoe concern was after the same piece of property.  The houses themselves were nothing to the boot and shoe people; they wanted the land in order to build their manufactory upon it.  A siding of the railroad ran down the alley just back of the property, a fact that hurt the lot for residence purposes, but that was indispensable for the boot and shoe people.  Geary knew that the heads of the manufactory were determined to buy the lot, and he was sure that if properly handled by clever brokers they could be induced to offer at least one third more than its appraised valuation.  It was a chance for a fine speculation, and it was torture to Geary to think that Vandover, or in fact any one besides himself, was going to profit by it.

The afternoon of the day upon which Hiram Wade had brought suit for twenty-five thousand dollars, while Geary was pottering about his swivel office chair with an oil can trying to find out where it creaked, a brilliant idea had suddenly occurred to him, a stroke of genius, a veritable inspiration.  Why could he not make the Wade suit a machine with which to force Vandover into the sale of the property?