that. He would not take the initiative, both on
account of Castle's peculiar actions and Mrs. Penton's pleading.

At 2 a.m. Henty swore. It was a pretty early orgy, but A. P. probably
felt justified, at that.

"When are they going to ring off?" he asked Nelson.

"I'm going now," said Evan; "my head is splitting."

Penton heard.

"Why didn't you say so before, old man," he said, softly; "we don't
want our teller to go out of business."

Henty winked at Evan from behind the manager's back, and when Penton
had eagerly answered a summons from the inspector, whispered:

"What's his game, I wonder?"

"If you stick around, A. P., you may find out."

"By Jove," said Henty, "I will stick--till the cock crows!"

Nelson climbed the hill to his lodging. He lay in bed an hour before
sleep came, and then dreams bothered him. They were nightmares; a
confusion of figures, money and old associations. He dreamt that he
was an inspector and that Penton had taken him out for a drink,
talking, the while, about swollen deposits, curtailed loans and
expanding prospects. There was an unknown and unfortunate clerk mixed
up in this dream; a queer, vague fellow.

Next morning A. P. left his lodging for work much earlier than usual.
He called on the teller, whom, for some reason, he desired to escort to
the office. Evan was eating breakfast.

"Just up?" asked the junior.

"Yes," interposed Mrs. Terry, "and he should be in his bed. See how
tired he looks, Mr. Henty."

Evan laughed.

"Mother would be jealous," he said, "if she knew how well Mrs. Terry
treated me."

The kind woman smiled, pleased.

"I can't make much headway," she said, coughing, "for what I try to do
the bank goes and undoes."

"That's true enough," interjected the teller.

"And now this inspection affair is on," continued Mrs. Terry, "I'm
afraid they'll lay him up."

Henty blushed tremendously, but looked steadily at Mrs. Terry, as he
said:

"I sure envy your boarder."

Nelson glanced up from a dish of cherries.

"Maybe Mrs. Terry would let us room together here," he smiled.

Henty's eager expression was enough.

"He's welcome," replied Mrs. Terry, and added: "then when they have
done for my present boarder I'll still have someone."

To the junior's delight he was thus invited to share Evan's room, and
Mrs. Terry's cooking. He kept stammering out his thanks until Nelson
was through eating.

"Let's walk around the block before going to t