y often--they rarely pay back. And they
never violate the rule with me."

"My dear sir, I will pay you----"

"Yes, I know. Oh, you've got the formula down pretty fine. Make a good
lawyer. I've got some money in that safe, that is, if nobody has robbed
me. Let me see if I've been robbed."

He opened the safe and took out a package of banknotes. "Don't believe
I've been robbed. Rather singular, too," he went on, counting the money.
"Two hundred, you said. Better take two-fifty--you need some clothes.
Pardon me for being so keen an observer. It really escaped my notice
until this moment. But what you want with the old house is more than I
can understand. No, Billy--Bill, I mean--no, I understand it and it is a
noble quality."

He rolled up the money, handed it to me and continued to talk. "After
all, sentiment is the only thing in life, but you'd better not tell this
about town--I'd never get another case. Yes, sir, and the poet is the
only man who really lives. Now go on and buy your acre of sentiment, and
when you have closed the bargain, lie down upon your possessions and go
to sleep. Tell the old man that he is a fool for going away, but tell
him also that I don't blame him for being a fool. Yes, sir, I love a
fool, for it's the wise man that puts me to trouble. Give my warmest
regards to that old woman. Let me tell you something: Many years ago I
was a poor young fellow working about the court-house. And the clothes
you've got on now are wedding garments compared with what mine were.
Well, one day I stopped at Jucklin's house to get out of the rain--he
hadn't been married long--and soon after I went into the sitting-room,
the wife began to whisper to the husband, and when she went out, which
she did a moment later, Jucklin turned to me and said: 'Go up stairs,
take off your britches and throw 'em down here, and I'll bring 'em back
to you after a while.' I was actually out at the knees, sir, and I did
as he told me, and when he brought my trousers back they were neatly
patched. Yes, sir, give my warmest regards to that old woman, for if
she isn't a Christian there never was one. Well, what are you hanging
around here for? Trying to thank me? Is that it? Well, just go on, my
boy, and we'll attend to that some other time."

"You know what I feel, Mr. Conkwright, and I will not attempt to thank
you, but I must say that I was never more surprised in a man. I was told
that you were hard and unsympathetic."

"Sorry yo