do you
prefer, a Manhattan, or a----"

Frank was now brought to the point where it was necessary for him to
state that he did not drink Manhattans or cocktails of any sort.

Young Hatch eyed him with an expression of doubt.

"You don't seem to be stringing me," he said. "Don't you drink at all?"

"No."

"Never?"

"Never."

"I can't understand it," said Arthur. "Everybody drinks nowadays."

"Not everybody. You are mistaken about that."

"Well, there are precious few who don't. Young men who are up to date
all take something."

"Then I'll have to confess that I'm not up to date."

"Strange," muttered the youth. "Have a cigarette?"

"I do not smoke them."

"Well, I keep a box of cigars for my friends who do not care for
cigarettes. They are----"

"I do not smoke at all."

Arthur sat down, slowly rolling a cigarette between his fingers, eying
Merry all the while.

"I didn't believe it," he finally muttered.

"Didn't believe what?"

"I've heard of you, you know, and what I've heard led me to think you a
corking chap, one of the boys, you understand."

"I think those who know me well have always considered me 'one of the
boys,'" smiled Merry.

"But really a fellow who never drinks nor smokes--why, he can't have any
fun!"

"I beg to differ with you on that point. I do not believe any chap ever
got more fun out of life than I have."

"Then you used to drink and smoke?"

"Never."

Arthur lighted his cigarette, took several whiffs, staring at Frank all
the while, and finally observed:

"When the governor came home and told me about you, he said you didn't
touch liquor and didn't smoke; but I sort of fancied you had been
playing it clever with him for reasons of your own."

Merry flushed a little.

"In short," he said, "you thought I was fooling him?"

"Well, I thought it rather clever of you, for you were trying to get dad
and a lot of those men of dough into some sort of a railroad scheme,
and I reckoned you were playing it fine with them."

"That's not my way of doing things."

"Beg pardon; no offense. Everybody is slick in these times, you know.
You'll find the men you are dealing with are all sharp as steel. They
never play any game frank and open."

Frank looked doubtful.

"Of course you do not mean to place your father in that class?"

"Well, I fancy the old boy knows all the tricks," laughed the lad
softly. "He's been able to hold his own with the rest of them. How did
you ge