ave?"

Martin expressed his desire for a glass of whiskey, which was poured
out, and hastily gulped down.

"I'm out of stamps," said Martin, coolly. "I s'pose you'll trust me till
to-morrow."

"Why didn't you say you hadn't any money?" demanded Jim, angrily.

"Come," said Martin, "don't be hard on an old friend. I'll pay you
to-morrow."

"Where'll the money come from?" demanded Jim, suspiciously.

This was a question which Martin was quite unable to answer
satisfactorily to himself.

"I'll get it some way," he answered.

"You'd better, or else you needn't come into this shop again."

Martin left the saloon rather disappointed. He had had a little idea of
asking a small loan from his friend "Jim;" but he judged that such an
application would hardly be successful under present circumstances.
"Jim's" friendship evidently was not strong enough to justify such a
draft upon it.

Martin began to think that it might have been as well, on the whole, to
seek employment at his trade in Brooklyn, for a time at least, until he
could have accumulated a few dollars. It was rather uncomfortable being
entirely without money, and that was precisely his present condition.
Even if he had wanted to go back to Brooklyn, he had not even the two
cents needed to pay the boat fare. Matters had come to a crisis with
Martin financially, and a suspension of specie payments was forced upon
him.

He continued to walk about the streets in that aimless way which results
from absence of occupation, and found it, on the whole, rather cheerless
work. Besides, he was beginning to get hungry. He had eaten a hearty
breakfast at his boarding-house in Brooklyn, but it was now one o'clock,
and the stomach began to assert its claims once more. He had no money.
Still there were places where food, at least, could be had for nothing.
He descended into a subterranean apartment, over the door of which was a
sign bearing the words FREE LUNCH.

As many of my readers know, these establishments are to be found in most
of our cities. A supply of sandwiches, or similar food, is provided free
for the use of those who enter, but visitors are expected to call and
pay for one or more glasses of liquor, which are sold at such prices
that the proprietor may, on the whole, realize a profit.

It was into one of those places that James Martin entered. He went up to
the counter, and was about to help himself to the food supplied. After
partaking of this, he intended