the elder gentleman,
composedly.

"Oh yes, sir, it will _do_; but then you know it is not the way in which
we do business."

Mr. Stephens laughed.

"I used to consider myself the most prompt and particular man living,"
he said, gaily; "but I believe you are going to make one several notches
above me. I am really curious to know what has thrown you out of your
orbit this afternoon."

Theodore's face flushed.

"I have been permitted to prevent a murder this afternoon, even after a
father had furnished the weapons for his daughter's destruction," he
said, speaking sharply. He was very savage on that question of
intemperance.

"Horrible!" said Mr. Stephens, looking aghast. "Mallery, what _do_ you
mean?"

And then followed a recital of the afternoon's adventures. Had Theodore
Mallery been the hero of a first-class novel he would have remained
modestly and obstinately silent about a matter in which he had taken so
prominent a part, but being very like a flesh and blood young man, it
did not occur to him to hesitate or stammer--in fact he thought he had
succeeded in doing a good brave deed, and he was very glad and thankful.
Presently they left the library and went toward the parlor.

"Do you know I have another guest to-day?" asked Mr. Stephens, as they
went down the hall together. "A Mr. Ryan, a lawyer. I think you are not
acquainted with him."

"Ryan!" said Theodore, looking puzzled and racking his memory. "The name
sounds familiar, but--oh!" and then he laughed, "Edgar Ryan?"

"The same. Do you know him?"

"Why, yes, sir. I used to know him very well; served him every day at
the Euclid House."

"Did you indeed! Well, I know very little about him, save that his
father was a good friend to me once."

When Mr. Stephens presented his confidential clerk to Mr. Ryan there was
a start, a look of bewilderment and confused recollection, accompanied
by a sudden roguish twinkle of recognition, and then the polished lawyer
became oblivious to the existence of "Tode Mall," and "Habakkuk," and
"bottles," and greeted "Mr. Mallery" in a manner that became a guest of
Mr. Stephens, toward Mr. Stephens' honored clerk. Then they all went out
to dinner. And the dinner progressed finely until the coffee and dessert
were served, and Mr. Stephens had dismissed the waiters and prepared for
a half-way business talk; then suddenly his clerk gave a quick nervous
push from him of the plate on which quivered a tiny mound of jelly, it