out? All O.K.?"

"Yes," replied John, "I think so."

"Where's Chet?"

"He went away some few minutes ago. He said he had a good many things to
attend to as he was leaving in the morning."

"E-um'm!" said David incredulously. "I guess 't won't take him long to
close up his matters. Did he leave ev'rything in good shape? Cash all
right, an' so on?"

"I think so," said John. "The cash is right I am sure."

"How 'bout the books?"

"I asked him to let me have the balance sheets, and he said that you
must have them, but that he would come in in the morning and--well, what
he said was that he would see me in the morning, and, as he put it, look
after any little last thing."

"E-um'm!" David grunted. "He won't do no such a thing. We've seen the
last of him, you bet, an' a good riddance. He'll take the nine o'clock
to-night, that's what he'll do. Drawed his pay, I guess, didn't he?"

"He said he was to be paid for this month," answered John, "and took
sixty dollars. Was that right?"

"Yes," said David, nodding his head absently. "What was it he said about
them statements?" he inquired after a moment.

"He said he guessed you must have them."

"E-um'm!" was David's comment. "What'd he say about leavin'?"

John laughed and related the conversation as exactly as he could.

"What'd I tell ye," said Mr. Harum, with a short laugh. "Mebbe he won't
go till to-morro', after all," he remarked. "He'll want to put in a
leetle more time tellin' how he was sent for in a hurry by that big
concern f'm out of town 't he's goin' to."

"Upon my word, I can't understand it," said John, "knowing that you can
contradict him."

"Wa'al," said David, "he'll allow that if he gits in the fust word,
he'll take the pole. It don't matter anyway, long 's he's gone. I guess
you an' me c'n pull the load, can't we?" and he dropped down off the
counter and started to go out. "By the way," he said, halting a moment,
"can't you come in to tea at six o'clock? I want to make ye acquainted
with Polly, an' she's itchin' to see ye."

"I shall be delighted," said John.

* * * * *

"Polly," said David, "I've ast the young feller to come to tea, but
don't you say the word 'Eagle,' to him. You c'n show your ign'rance
'bout all the other kinds of birds an' animals you ain't familiar
with," said the unfeeling brother, "but leave eagles alone."

"What you up to now?" she asked, but she got no answer but a laugh.

From a