s first impulse,
he had taken to the door of the loft with him, and descended the
stairs. The old man was standing at the door of his office awaiting
him.

As Mulrady approached, he trembled violently, and clung to the doorpost
for support.

"I had to come over, Mulrady," he said, in a choked voice; "I could
stand it there no longer. I've come to beg you to forget all that I
have said; to drive all thought of what passed between us last night
out of your head and mine forever! I've come to ask you to swear with
me that neither of us will ever speak of this again forever. It is not
worth the happiness I have had in your friendship for the last
half-year; it is not worth the agony I have suffered in its loss in the
last half-hour."

Mulrady grasped his outstretched hand. "P'raps," he said, gravely,
"there mayn't be any use for another word, if you can answer one now.
Come with me. No matter," he added, as Slinn moved with difficulty; "I
will help you."

He half supported, half lifted the paralyzed man up the three flights
of stairs, and opened the door of the loft. The pick was leaning
against the wall, where he had left it. "Look around, and see if you
recognize anything."

The old man's eyes fell upon the implement in a half-frightened way,
and then lifted themselves interrogatively to Mulrady's face.

"Do you know that pick?"

Slinn raised it in his trembling hands. "I think I do; and yet--"

"Slinn! is it yours?"

"No," he said hurriedly.

"Then what makes you think you know it?"

"It has a short handle like one I've seen."

"And is isn't yours?"

"No. The handle of mine was broken and spliced. I was too poor to buy
a new one."

"Then you say that this pick which I found in my shaft is not yours?"

"Yes."

"Slinn!"

The old man passed his hand across his forehead, looked at Mulrady, and
dropped his eyes. "It is not mine," he said simply.

"That will do," said Mulrady, gravely.

"And you will not speak of this again?" said the old man, timidly.

"I promise you--not until I have some more evidence."

He kept his word, but not before he had extorted from Slinn as full a
description of Masters as his imperfect memory and still more imperfect
knowledge of his former neighbor could furnish. He placed this, with a
large sum of money and the promise of a still larger reward, in the
hands of a trustworthy agent. When this was done he resumed his old
relations with Slinn, with the exc