ammed, and Underwood returned to the sitting room. Taking no
notice of Howard, he walked over to the desk, slowly selected a cigar
and lighted it. Howard looked up at him foolishly, not knowing what to
say. His frequent libations had so befuddled him that he had almost
forgotten the object of his visit.

"Excuse my butting in, old chap," he stammered, "but----"

Underwood made no answer. Howard stared at him in comic surprise. He was
not so drunk as not to be able to notice that something was wrong.

"Say, old fellow," he gurgled; "you're a regular Jim Dumps. Why so
chopfallen, so----? My! what a long face! Is that the way you greet a
classmate, a fellow frat? Wait till you hear my hard-luck story. That'll
cheer you up. Who was it said: 'There's nothing cheers us up so much as
other people's money?" Reaching for the whiskey bottle, he went on,
"First, I'll pour out another drink. You see, I need courage, old man.
I've got a favor to ask. I want some money. I not only want it--I need
it."

Underwood laughed, a hollow, mocking laugh of derision. His old
classmate had certainly chosen a good time to come and ask him for
money. Howard mistook the cynical gayety for good humor.

"I said I'd cheer you up," he went on. "I don't want to remind you of
that little matter of two hundred and fifty bucks which you borrowed
from me two years ago. I suppose you've forgotten it, but----"

A look of annoyance came over Underwood's face.

"Well, what of it?" he snapped.

Howard took another drink before he continued.

"I wouldn't remind you of the loan, old chap; but I'm up against it.
When the family kicked me out for marrying the finest girl that ever
lived, my father cut me off with a piking allowance which I told him to
put in the church plate. I told him I preferred independence. Well," he
went on with serio-comic gravity, "I got my independence, but I'm--I'm
dead broke. You might as well understand the situation plainly. I can't
find any business that I'm fitted for, and Annie threatens to go back to
work. Now, you know I can't stand for anything like that. I'm too much
of a man to be supported by any woman."

He looked toward Underwood in a stupid kind of way, as if looking for
some sign of approval, but he was disappointed. Underwood's face was a
study of supreme indifference. He did not even appear to be listening.
Somewhat disconcerted, Howard again raised the glass to his lips, and
thus refreshed, went on:

"Then