hnny, and what do you think! it
was Willie Felton."

"Not the one who went to dancing-school with us, and had such red
cheeks?" I wondered.

"His cheeks aren't red now," said Hallie; "and he has wrinkles all
around his eyes, just like an old man. He has been awfully dissipated.
And, oh Ellie, you should have seen him sitting up there looking at Mr.
Dingley and looking at Mr. Jackson, and biting his nails, and never
daring to look at Johnny Montgomery. He said he had met Johnny about
twelve o'clock that night, by chance on Montgomery Street. They had
walked a little way together, and Johnny had said, 'I am going away
to-morrow,' and Willie Felton asked was he going to the races. Johnny
laughed and said, 'No. I am going to some place I've never seen
before, and I'm not coming back until everybody has forgotten me.' He
behaved queerly, seemed to be very much excited; although, Willie said,
he was sure he hadn't been drinking.

"As they came to the Poodle Dog Johnny said, 'There is some one here I
want to speak to.' And after they were inside he said, 'Excuse me a
moment,' so Willie Felton took a table near the door, saw Johnny talk
with Rood, saw Rood upset his chair as he went out, and Johnny follow
him out of the door. When he himself got outside, he said that Rood
was nowhere in sight and that Johnny was standing looking up Montgomery
Street. He seemed to be very angry. Willie said, 'Where are you
going?' and Johnny turned on him and said, 'I'll tell you where I'm
going--I am going about my business!' and then he walked quickly away
up the street in the same direction that Rood had taken.

"While he was telling about it," Hallie went on, "Mr. Jackson kept
interrupting, saying, 'Object, your Honor,' and making it awfully hard
to follow the testimony. Then another young man was called, and he
didn't tell any story. They had a hard time even making him answer
questions. But he did tell that he knew the quarrel between Rood and
Johnny began three years ago at the time of the California Bank
shortage, when Johnny said that Rood had lied himself out of prison and
an innocent man in.

"Oh," I cried, "I'm so glad!"

Hallie looked as if she thought I was crazy; but I explained that what
I really was glad of was that the quarrel had been Rood's, and not
Johnny's fault; indeed that it had shown Johnny to be in the right, at
least that once.

"Well," Hallie declared, "he does need a good word, I must say!"