leaving
John without kin, near or far, but with a good name and fair riches.

"I have brought you those gas bonds, Mr. McBride," said North, going at
once to the purpose of his visit.

The old merchant nodded understandingly.

"I hope you can arrange to let me have the money for them to-day,"
continued North.

"I think I can manage it, John. Atkinson and Judge Langham's boy, Marsh,
were just here and left a bit of cash. Maybe I can make up the sum."
While he was speaking, he had gone to the safe which stood open in one
corner of the small office.

In a moment he returned to the desk with a roll of bills in his hands
which he counted lovingly, placing them, one by one, in a neat pile
before him.

"You're still in the humor to go away?" he asked, when he had finished
counting the money.

"Never more so!" said North briefly.

"What do you think of young Langham, John? Will he ever be as sharp a
lawyer as the judge?"

"He's counted very brilliant," evaded North.

He rather dreaded the old merchant when his love of gossip got the
better of his usual reserve.

"I hadn't seen the fellow in months to speak to until to-day. He's a
clever talker and has a taking way with him, but if the half I hear is
true, he's going the devil's own gait. He's a pretty good friend to Andy
Gilmore, ain't he--that horse-racing, card-playing neighbor of yours?"
He pushed the bills toward North. "Run them over, John, and see if I
have made any mistake." He slipped off his glasses again and fell to
polishing them with his handkerchief. "It's all right, John?" he asked
at length.

"Yes, quite right, thank you." And North produced the bonds from an
inner pocket of his coat and handed them to McBride.

"So you are going to get out of this place, John? You're going West, you
say. What will you do there?" asked the old merchant as he carefully
examined the bonds.

"I don't know yet."

"I'm trusting you're through with your folly, John; that your crop of
wild oats is in the ground. You've made a grand sowing!"

"I have," answered North, laughing in spite of himself.

"You'll be empty-handed I'm thinking, but for the money you take from
here."'

"Very nearly so."

"How much have you gone through with, John, do you mind rightly?"

"Fifteen or twenty thousand dollars."

"A nice bit of money!" He shook his head and chuckled dryly. "It's
enough to make your father turn in his grave. He's said to me many a
time when he was a bit clo