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the s-spur items p-purchased on the seventeenth of last July."

Even the chancellor came out of his mechanical manner at this. He leaned forward.

"Are you suggesting that your client remembers in detail all these accounts and can check off mentally where the bank is in error?"

"I—I don't know, your Honour." He leaned and consulted Railroad Jones, and Abner heard the magnate say impatiently, "Sure, sure, I want them to bring up their whole account. I want this settled here and now."

When Norton reported the result of his conference, the astonishment and admiration of the crowd grew so noisy the chancellor was forced to rap for order.

"Such a slight variation will not affect the substance of the bill, and the plaintiff will amend. So your client admits the bill as it stands?"

"He does," stammered Norton, "b-but he asks to be allowed to introduce a l-little off-s-s-set."

Judge Stone was on his feet at once.

"An off-set, your Honour; on what grounds is an off-set asked?"

"I-illegal interest," stammered Norton.

The little banker leaped to his feet. "That's an untruth, judge . . . " Buckingham Sharp pulled him down.

Judge Stone proceeded deliberately. "The interest charge on funding the railroad, your Honour, has been precisely six percentum per annum, the legal rate in Tennessee, as an inspection of the accounts will convince you."

"W-we acknowledge that," stuttered Norton.

"Then I don't understand your plea of off-set," said the chancellor.

"I-it's like this," stammered Norton. "Th-the Irontown B-bank normally charges eight p-per cent. I-it has b-been charing this i-i-illegal rate for y-years, f-for decades, your Honour. M-my client had b-bought up some of the old c-claims against th-the bank, and h-he has them here c-claim-