arose immediately, and the only discourteous word that he
permitted himself to utter to Dora's father was to say with marked
emphasis:

"Thank you, Mr. Hastings, I will suggest your advice to Mrs. Jenkins;
and as she is a feeble old lady, I presume if her son becomes a drunkard
and breaks her heart you will see that his sisters are comfortably
provided for in the Orphans' Home. Good-evening, sir."

"Don Quixote!" Mr. Stephens called him, laughing immensely as his clerk
related the story of his attempt and failure.

"I only gave him a chance to carry out some of his benevolent ideas, and
save a capable waiter at the same time," answered Theodore, dryly. "But
he is evidently too much engrossed with his Orphans' Home to be alive to
his own interests."

"So you contemplate a speedy removal of Tommy from the Euclid House, do
you?" said Mr. Stephens, reflectively.

"Yes, sir. Just as soon as I can secure him a position elsewhere."

"Can McPherson take him?"

"Hardly. He has a case now not unlike Tommy's in which he is deeply
interested, and which occupies all his leisure time."

"Can you make him useful here?" said Mr. Stephens, thoughtfully,
balancing his pen on his finger.

"Useful? No, sir, I fear not--at least not just at present."

"Can you keep him busy then?"

"Yes, sir, certainly."

"Then send for him," said Mr. Stephens, briefly, resuming his writing.

Theodore turned suddenly and bestowed a delightful look on his employer
as he said eagerly:

"If there were only a few more people actuated by your principles we
should need fewer Orphans' Homes."

"Confound that fellow and his impudence!" said the irate Mr. Hastings,
as he finished detailing an account of Tommy's exit from the Euclid
House under the supervision and influence of Mr. Mallery.

Pliny glanced up from his dish of soup, and opened his eyes wide in
pretended surprise.

"One would suppose, sir, that you were not particularly grateful to the
fellow for his rescue of your daughter from an untimely grave," he said,
demurely.

"Untimely fiddlestick!" was Mr. Hastings' still more irritable reply.
"He thinks he is a hero, and presumes upon it to intrude himself in a
most insufferable manner. I have no doubt Jonas would have got along
without any of his interference."

Dora's face flushed and then paled, but the only remark she made was:

"Papa, you ought to have been there to see."

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXI.

MIDNIGHT WORK.