ather sullenly.

"Oh, ho, you were up to your old tricks!"

"He'll never miss it; I couldn't freeze to death; there's a livin'
comin' to me," said the handy-man doggedly.

"You'll probably have a try for it back of iron bars!" said Gilmore.

But it was plain that Montgomery did not enjoy Mr. Gilmore's humor.

"White's coal house is right acrost the alley from old McBride's shed.
You can go look, boss, if you don't believe me, and there's a small door
opening out on to the alley, where the coal is put in."

"All the same you should keep out of people's coal houses, or one of
these days you'll bring off more than you bargained for; say a load of
shot."

"Maybe you'd like to know who I seen come over that roof?" said the
handy-man impatiently.

"How many people have you told this yarn to already?" asked Gilmore, who
seemed more anxious to discredit the handy-man in his own eyes than
anything else.

"Not a living soul, boss; I guess I know enough to hang a man--"

"Pooh!" said Gilmore.

"You don't believe me?"

"Yes, I'll believe that you were stealing White's coal."

"Leave me tell it to you just as it happened, boss," said Montgomery.
"Then if you say I lie, I won't answer you back; we'll let it go at
that."

Gilmore appeared to consider for a moment, his look of mingled
indifference and contempt had quite passed away.

"I guess it sounds straight, Joe!" he said at length slowly.

"Why? Because it _is_ straight, every damn word of it, boss."

And as if to give emphasis to his words the handy-man swung out a grimy
fist and dropped it into an equally grimy palm.

"What did you do after that?" asked Gilmore.

"Not much. I laid low and presently lifted my sack of coal out and
ducked around to Lonigan's saloon. I went in there by the back door and
left my sack leanin' against the building. Mike wanted his mail and he
give me a drink of whisky if I'd take his keys and go to the post-office
for him; I'd just come into the Square when I run into Shrimp who was
tellin' how old man McBride was murdered. I went into the store and
found you there with Colonel Harbison, you remember, boss?" Gilmore
nodded and Montgomery continued. "I hadn't a chance to tell you what I'd
seen, and all night long I kept hearin' him say it!"

"Say what, Joe?"

"Say, 'Oh, my God!' like I told you, boss; I couldn't sleep for it,--I
wonder if he slept!"

"Joe," said the gambler, "I'll tell you something that I have only told
the