clever enough to
keep free from those habits, those modes of life that ended in such
fashion. He rapped sharply on the table. Vandover straightened up,
raising his eyes:

"You want some work?" he demanded.

"Yes; that's what I'm after," answered Vandover, adding, "I must have
it!"

"Well," said Geary, hesitatingly, "I can give you something to do, but
it will be pretty dirty."

Vandover smiled a little, saying, "I guess you can't give me any work
that would be too dirty for me!" With the words he suddenly began to cry
again. "I want to be honest, Mister Geary," he exclaimed, drawing the
backs of his fingers across his lips; "I want to be honest; I'm down and
I don't mean no offence. Charlie, you and I were old chums once at
Harvard. My God! to think I was a Harvard man once! Oh, I'm a goner now
and I ain't got a friend. When I was in the paint-shop they paid me
well. I've been in a paint-shop lately painting the little pictures on
the safes, little landscapes, you know, and lakes with mountains around
them. I pulled down my twenty dollars and findings!"

"Oh, don't be a fool!" cried Geary, ashamed even to see such an
exhibition. "If you can't be a man, you can get out. Now, see here, you
came up here once and insulted me in my office, and called me a
swindler. Ah, you bet you had the swelled head then and insulted me,
attacked my honesty and charged me with shoving the queer. Now I never
forget those things generally, but I am willing to let that pass this
time. I could be nasty now and tell you to rustle for yourself. If you
want half a dollar now to get something to eat, why, I'll give it to
you. But I don't propose to support you. Ah, no; I guess not! If you
want to work I'll give you a chance, but I shall expect you to do good
work if I give you my good money for it. You may be drunk now or--_I_
don't know what's the matter with you. But you come up here to-morrow at
noon, and if you come up here sober or straight or"--Geary began to make
awkward gestures in the air with both hands--"come up here to talk
_business_, I may have something for you, but I can't stop any longer
this evening."

Vandover got upon his feet slowly, turning his greenish hat about by the
brim, nodding his head. "All right, all right," he answered. "Thank you
very much, Mister Geary. It's very good of you, I'm sure. I'll be around
at noon sure."

When Geary was left alone, he walked slowly to his window, and stood
there a moment looki