The evidences of disapproval which Albert detected in the countenances of those about him did not at all decrease his irritation.  His irritation did not tend to modify the severity of his moral judgments.  And the fact that Smith Westcott had jumped the claim of Whisky Jim, of course at Plausaby’s suggestion, led Albert into a strain of furious talk that must have produced a violent rupture in the family, had it not been for the admirable composure of Plausaby, Esq., under the extremest provocation.  For Charlton openly embraced the cause of Jim; and much as he disliked all manner of rascality, he was secretly delighted to hear that Jim had employed Shamberson, the lawyer, who was brother-in-law to the receiver of the land-office, and whose retention in those days of mercenary lawlessness was a guarantee of his client’s success.  Westcott had offered the lawyer a fee of fifty dollars, but Jim’s letter, tendering him a contingent fee of half the claim, reached him in the same mail, and the prudent lawyer, after talking the matter over with the receiver who was to decide the case, concluded to take half of the claim.  Jim would have given him all rather than stand a defeat.

Katy, with more love than logic, took sides of course with her lover in this contest.  Westcott showed her where he meant to build the most perfect little dove-house for her, by George, he! he! and she listened to his side of the story, and became eloquent in her denunciation of the drunken driver who wanted to cheat poor, dear Smith—­she had got to the stage in which she called him by his Christian name now—­to cheat poor, dear Smith out of his beautiful claim.

If I were writing a History instead of a Mystery of Metropolisville, I should have felt under obligation to begin with the founding of the town, in the year preceding the events of this story.  Not that there were any mysterious rites or solemn ceremonies.  Neither Plausaby nor the silent partners interested with him cared for such classic customs.  They sought first to guess out the line of a railroad; they examined corner-stakes; they planned for a future county-seat; they selected a high-sounding name, regardless of etymologies and tautologies; they built shanties, “filed” according to law, laid off a town-site, put up a hotel, published a beautiful colored map, and began to give away lots to men who would build on them.  Such, in brief, is the unromantic history of the founding of the village of Metropolisville.

And if this were a history, I should feel bound to tell of all the maneuvers resorted to by Metropolisville, party of the second part, to get the county-seat removed from Perritaut, party of the first part, party in possession.  But about the time that Smith Westcott’s contest about the claim was ripening to a trial, the war between the two villages was becoming more and more interesting.  A special election was approaching, and Albert of course took sides against Metropolisville,