So the lawyer has collected his half of the twenty and regards the collection of your half as exceedingly doubtful!" "Shouldn't Lawyer Stark give me half of the ten he got from Bill Peterson ?" asked the peddler anxiously.
"Undoubtedly he should," Tom assented, "and just as undoubtedly he hasn't any idea of doing so." "What do you say, young man ?" inquired the peddler, turning to young Prescott.
"Why, sir, if you are asking about your legal chance of getting half of that ten dollars from the lawyer," Dick answered, "then I'm afraid you stand a poor show.

If the lawyer won't pay you the money, then you would have to sue him.

Even if you won the suit, the fight would cost you a good deal more than the amount you would recover.

And the lawyer might beat you, even if you sued him." "Then---what's the answer ?" demanded the peddler slowly.
"I know the answer," said Tom confidently, "but it would be a shame to tell you, sir." "Just the same, I wish you would," replied the peddler coaxingly.
"The answer," replied Reade, "is that you have been cheated." "But it looks to me like a mean trick," Dick went on.
"What am I going to do about it ?" asked the peddler wonderingly.
"I don't believe you can do anything about it, sir," Prescott answered, "unless you are willing to sue the lawyer, or can make him agree to fair play.

But I certainly would drop in to see him and tell him that you expect just half of what he has so far collected." "I believe I'll do that," replied Peddler Hinman, judging from the address on the letter, that was his name.