er? Don't the terms suit? Why that's _very_
reasonable!"

"All right. Then rent it to the first chap who'll take it for two
dollars; but _I_ ain't acquainted with him."

"How much _will_ you give then?"

"How much will you take?"

"Well, now, I like to help the young, so I'll take a dollar a week."

"Not from me," said Tode, promptly.

"Do hear the fellow! As generous as I've been to him, too. Well, come,
now, its your turn to make an offer."

"I'll give you fifty cents a week, and pay you every Saturday night at
seven o'clock."

"It's a bargain," exclaimed the man, striking his hand down on the
counter, till the dirty glasses jingled. There was a further attempt to
discover the intention of the new firm, but Tode made his escape the
moment the bargain was concluded, and went off vigorously to work to get
the old barrel out of his premises. Then he departed, and presently made
his appearance again with an old dry-goods box, which he brought on a
wheelbarrow, and deposited squarely on the stone. Off again, and back
with boards, hammer and nails. And then ensued a vigorous pounding,
which, when it was finished, was productive of three neat fitting
shelves inside the dry-goods box.

"Jolly," he said, eyeing his work triumphantly and his fingers ruefully,
"I'm glad I own a hotel instead of a carpenter's shop. I wonder now
which I did pound the oftenest, them nails or my thumb? Ain't my shelves
some though? So much got along with; now for my next move. I wonder
where the old lady lives what's going to lend her stove for my coffee?
Must be somewhere along here, because I couldn't go far away from my
place of business after it, specially if all my waiters should happen
to be out when the rush comes. I may as well start off and hunt her up."

Just next to the oyster-saloon was a little old yellow house. Thither
Tode bent his steps, and knocked boldly at the door. No reply.

"Not at home," he said, shaking his head as he peeped in at the
curtainless window. "No use of talking about you then. _You_ won't do,
'cause you see my old lady must be at home. I can't be having her run
off just at the busiest time."

There were two doors very near together, and our young adventurer tried
the next one. It was quickly opened, and a very slatternly young woman
appeared to him with a baby in her arms, and three almost babies hanging
to various portions of her dress.

"Does Mr. Smith live here?" queried Tode.

The woman shook