e bar-room, in fact. But Frank Bowman's smiling, ruddy face
displayed no sign of _his_ having sampled Lem Parraday's bar goods.

"Hullo, Janice," he said cheerfully. "I've just been having a set-to
with Lem--and I don't know but he's got the best of me."

"In what way?" asked the girl, brushing her eyes quickly that the young
man might not see her tears.

"Why, this is pay day again, you know. My men take most of the
afternoon off on pay day. They are cleaning up now, in the camp house,
and will be over by and by to sample some of Lem's goods," and the
engineer sighed.

"No, I can't keep them away from the place. I've tried. Some of them
won't come; but the majority will be in that pleasing condition known
as 'howling drunk' before morning."

"Oh, Frank! I wish Lem would stop selling the stuff," cried Janice.'

"Well, he won't. I've just been at him. I told him if he didn't close
his bar at twelve o'clock tonight, according to the law, I'd appear in
court against him myself. I mean to stand outside here with Constable
Cantor to-night and see that the barroom is dark at twelve o'clock,
anyway."

"That will be a splendid move, Frank!" Janice said quickly, and with
enthusiasm.

"Ye-es; as far as it goes. But Lem said to me: 'Don't forget this is a
hotel, Mr. Bowman, and I can serve my guests in the dining room or in
their own rooms, all night long, if I want to.' And that's true."

"Oh, dear me! So he can," murmured Janice.

"He's got me there," grumbled young Bowman. "I never thought Lem
Parraday any too sharp before; but he's learned a lot from Joe Bodley.
That young fellow is about as shrewd and foxy as they make 'em."

"Yet they say he did not sell Hopewell's violin at a profit, as he
expected to," Janice observed.

"That's right, too. And it's queer," the engineer said. "I've seen
that black-haired, foxy-looking chap around town more than once since
Joe bought the fiddle. Hullo! what's the matter with Dexter?"

The engineer had got into step at once with Janice, and they had by
this time walked down High Street to the steamboat dock. The
freight-house door was open and Walky Dexter had loaded his wagon and
was ready to drive up town; but Josephus was headed down the dock.

The expressman was climbing unsteadily to his seat, and in reply to
something said by the freight agent, he shouted:

"Thas all right! thas all right! I kin turn Josephus 'round on this
dock. Jefers-pelters! he