ng aimlessly down into the street, shaking his head
repeatedly, astonished at the degradation of his old-time chum. While he
stood there he saw Vandover come out upon the sidewalk from the door of
the great office building. Geary watched him, very interested.

Vandover paused a moment upon the sidewalk, turning up the collar of his
old cutaway coat against the cold trade wind that was tearing through
the streets; he thrust both his hands deep into his trousers pockets,
gripping his sides with his elbows and drawing his shoulders together,
shrinking into a small compass in order to be warm. The wind blew the
tails of his cutaway about him like flapping wings. He went up the
street, walking fast, keeping to the outside of the sidewalk, his
shoulders bent, his head inclined against the wind, his feet dragging
after him as he walked. For a moment Geary lost sight of him amid a
group of men who were hoisting a piano upon a dray. The street was
rather crowded with office boys, clerks, and typewriters going home to
supper, and Geary did not catch sight of him again immediately; then all
at once he saw him hesitating on a corner of Kearney Street, waiting for
an electric car to pass; he crossed the street, running, his hands still
in his pockets, and went on hurriedly, dodging in and out of the throng,
his high shoulders, long neck, and greenish hat coming into sight at
intervals. For a moment he paused to glance into the show window of a
tobacconist and pipe-seller's store. A Chinese woman passed him,
pattering along lamely, her green jade ear-rings twinkling in the light
of a street lamp, newly lighted. Vandover looked after her a moment,
gazing stupidly, then suddenly took up his walk again, zigzagging amid
the groups on the asphalt, striding along at a great pace, his head low
and swinging from side to side as he walked. He was already far down the
street; it was dusk; Geary could only catch glimpses of his head and
shoulders at long intervals. He disappeared.

* * * * *

About ten minutes before one the next day as Geary came back from lunch
he was surprised to see Vandover peeping through the half-open door of
his office. He had not thought that Vandover would come back.

Of the many different stories that Vandover had told about the
disappearance of his bonds, the one that was probably truest was the one
that accounted for the thing by his passion for gambling. For a long
time after his