CHAPTER VIII.
A FATHER'S JUST WRATH STRIKES A very few minutes later a knock sounded at the door.
Then Bert Dodge entered very abruptly, his tongue starting with the turning off the knob.
"Well, have you seen the mucker Prescott ?" called Bert airily.
"Was he scared to-----" Here Bert caught sight of the two West Pointers and stopped short, while his father entered behind him.
"No," broke in Holmes, dryly, "Prescott wasn't even scared silly." "Oh, you shut up, you two!" growled Bert.

"Mr.Griffin, what are these pieces of airy nothing doing here ?" "That advice about preserving silence will very well apply to you, also, Mr.Bert Dodge," rejoined the lawyer.

"Take a seat in the background, please.

I want to talk with your father." "What's the matters" demanded Bert, not taking a seat, but advancing and leaning against the top of the lawyer's desk.

"Has this fellow won you over with a lot of his smooth talk ?" "Mr.Griffin I warned you that Prescott is a most accomplished liar." Instead of flaring up at this insult, Dick merely turned to exchange amused smiles with Holmes.
At this moment the attorney was paying no heed to Bert, but was placing a chair courteously for the elder Dodge.
"Now, Mr.Dodge," began the lawyer, speaking rapidly and paying heed only to the father, "I am very glad that I insisted on seeing Mr.Prescott before going further in the case that you placed with me.