l right," declared Halloran, confidently.

"My nerve has never failed me so far, and I'm depending on that," said
Kendale, mechanically.

Two hours later Kendale was breakfasting in a fashionable downtown
restaurant, endeavoring to fortify himself with courage for the trying
ordeal which he was about to face.

He had given Halloran his promise to abstain from touching even a drop
of liquor, fully realizing it to be his mortal foe; but with Kendale a
promise amounted to scarcely a flip of his white fingers when it ran
contrary to his own desires.

He told himself that he must have a "bracer" to steady his nerves. It
was not until a second and a third had been drunk that the proper amount
of courage came to him to undertake the dastardly scheme. Half an hour
later he walked boldly into the big dry goods emporium. He had no idea
where the private office was, but his quick wits served him in this
dilemma. Laying his hands on an errand boy who was just passing out,
whose cap bore the name of Marsh & Co., he said, carelessly:

"Here, lad, take my coat up to the private office; I will follow you. Go
slowly, though, through the crowd of shoppers."

With a respectful bow the boy took the coat from him.

It so happened that one of the rules of the house was that the employees
must not use the elevators, and by the time Kendale had climbed the
fourth flight of stairs he was thoroughly exhausted, the perspiration
fairly streaming down his face.

"Don't you know enough to go by way of the elevator, you young idiot?"
he roared, almost gasping for breath.

"You forget it's against the rules for us to do so, Mr. Armstrong,"
returned the lad.

"Rules be hanged!" cried his companion. "How many more floors up is it?"

The lad looked up into his face in the greatest amazement. Such a
question on the lips of the head of the firm rather astounded him; but
then, perhaps it had not occurred to the gentleman just how many flights
of steps the boys were obliged to climb.

"We are only on the fourth floor, sir," he responded, "and it's up the
other four flights, you know."

"Get into the elevator," commanded Kendale; and the boy turned, and
walked over to it, closely followed by his companion, mentally wondering
what in the world had come over courteous, kindly Mr. Lester Armstrong.

CHAPTER XV.

THE NEW BROOM DID NOT SWEEP CLEAN.

Clinton Kendale showed himself to be a thorough actor in carrying out a
part carefully,