ell. She telephones him
here. I--I don't like it. It's not playing square with her for him
to-- Well, you see what I mean. She doesn't know who he was."

"Uh-huh," says I.

"But I'm not sure just what I ought to do," says he.

"If you're callin' on me for a hunch," says I, "say so."

"Why, yes," says he. "What is it?"

"What's the matter," says I, "with beating him to it?"

"Why--er--by Jove!" says Ham. "I--I wonder."

He was still standin' there, holdin' the gasoline bottle and gazin'
down the basement steps, as I passed on. Course, I was mostly joshin'
him. Half an hour later and I'd forgot all about it. Never gave him a
thought again until this mornin' I hears Mr. Robert explode over
something he's just read in the paper.

"I say, Torchy," he sings out. "You remember Ham Adams? Well, what do
you think he's gone and done now?"

"Opened a correspondence school for valets?" says I.

"Married!" says Mr. Robert. "A rich widow, too; a Mrs. Grenville
Hawks."

"Zippo!" says I. "Then he's passed the buck back on Nivens."

"I--er--I beg pardon?" says Mr. Robert.

"You see," says I, "Nivens kind of thought an option on her went with
the place. He had Ham all counted out. But that spell of real work
must have done Ham a lot of good--must have qualified him to come back.
Believe me, too, he'll never be the same again."

"That, at least, is cheering," says Mr. Robert.

CHAPTER V

WITH ELMER LEFT IN

All I can say is that it was a busy day at the Corrugated. Course, I
might go into details, just as I might put mustard in my coffee, or
lock Piddie in the bond safe. Neither of them performances would be
quite so fruity as for me to give out particulars about this special
directors' meetin' that was goin' on. Speakin' by and large, though,
when you clean up better'n thirty per cent. on a semi-annual, you got
to do some dividend-jugglin', ain't you? And with them quiz committees
so thick, it's apt to be ticklish work.

Anyway, Old Hickory has chewed up four brunette cigars the size of
young baseball bats, two of the Board have threatened to resign, and a
hurry call has just been sent out for our chief counsel to report, when
Mr. Robert glances annoyed towards the door. It's nobody but
fair-haired Vincent, that has my old place on the gate, and he's merely
peekin' in timid, tryin' to signal someone.

"For heaven's sake, Torchy," says Mr. Robert, "see what that boys
wants. I've already