ch and swift decision that startled them. He
disposed of all his office furniture, his books, destroyed all his
letters, made a will leaving instructions for the disposal of his body,
and concluded every other detail of his affairs before eleven o'clock.
When he left his office to go back to his room, he had in his pocket
every cent he possessed in the world in crisp new bank notes. It
amounted to twenty-eight hundred and forty-seven dollars. Not much to
scatter over a long life,--not much as capital. Invested it might yield
some seventy dollars a year. But as ready cash, it really stood for a
fortune. It was the annual income at four per cent on over seventy
thousand dollars, the monthly income on eight hundred and forty thousand
dollars, the weekly income on over three million. For seven days then he
could squander the revenue of a princely estate.

As a matter of fact his position was even more remarkable; he was as
wealthy--so far as his own capacity for pleasure went--as though the
possessor of thirty million. This because of his limitations; he was
barred from travel; barred from the purchase of future holdings; barred
from everything by this time restriction save what he could absorb within
seven days through his five senses. Being an intelligent man of decent
morals and no bad habits, he was also restrained from license and the
gross extravagance accompanying it. But within his own world, there was
not a desire which need remain unsatisfied.

Back again in his room he summoned his landlady.

"I am going away," he informed her briefly. "I sha'n't leave any address
and I 'm going to take with me only the few things I can pack into a
dress-suit case. I 'll give you the rest."

The woman--she had become rather fond of the quiet, gentle third story
front--looked up sympathetically.

"Have you had bad news?"

"Bad news? No," he smiled. "Very good news. I 'm going to take a sort
of vacation."

"Then perhaps you 'll come back."

"So, I 'm quite sure I shall never come back."

She watched him at his packing, still puzzled by his behavior. She
noticed that he took nothing but a few trinkets, a handful of linen, and
a book or two. He glanced at his watch.

"Madame," he announced, offering her his hand, "it is now eleven thirty.
My vacation begins in half an hour. I must hurry. The remainder of
these things I bequeath to you."

In twenty minutes he was at the Waldorf. He asked for and was al