; he's the assistant editor. Judge Pike bought the
Tocsin last year, and he thinks a good deal of Eugene. Don't forget I
said to come to see me again before you go."

Joe came over to the older man and held out his hand. "Shake hands,
father," he said. Mr. Louden looked at him out of small implacable
eyes, the steady hostility of which only his wife or the imperious
Martin Pike, his employer, could quell. He shook his head.

"I don't see any use in it," he answered. "It wouldn't mean anything.
All my life I've been a hard-working man and an abiding man. Before
you got in trouble you never did anything you ought to; you ran with
the lowest people in town, and I and all your folks were ashamed of
you. I don't see that we've got a call to be any different now." He
swung round to his desk emphatically, on the last word, and Joe turned
away and went out quietly.

But it was a bright morning to which he emerged from the outer doors of
the factory, and he made his way towards Main Street at a lively gait.
As he turned the corner opposite the "National House," he walked into
Mr. Eskew Arp. The old man drew back angrily.

"Lord 'a' mercy!" cried Joe, heartily. "It's Mr. Arp! I almost ran
you down!" Then, as Mr. Arp made no response, but stood stock-still in
the way, staring at him fiercely, "Don't you know me, Mr. Arp?" the
young man asked. "I'm Joe Louden."

Eskew abruptly thrust his face close to the other's. "NO FREE SEATS!"
he hissed, savagely; and swept across to the hotel to set his world
afire.

Joe looked after the irate, receding figure, and watched it disappear
into the Main Street door of the "National House." As the door closed,
he became aware of a mighty shadow upon the pavement, and turning,
beheld a fat young man, wearing upon his forehead a scar similar to his
own, waddling by with eyes fixed upon him.

"How are you, Norbert?" Joe began. "Don't you remember me? I--" He
came to a full stop, as the fat one, thrusting out an under lip as his
only token of recognition, passed balefully on.

Joe proceeded slowly until he came to the Tocsin building. At the foot
of the stairway leading up to the offices he hesitated for a few
moments; then he turned away and walked towards the quieter part of
Main Street. Most of the people he met took no notice of him, only two
or three giving him second glances of half-cognizance, as though he
reminded them of some one they could not place, and it was not