king, he's
not the only bank manager who souses regularly. They'll stand for him
a while, until it will look reasonable to move him."

Robb grunted.

"They know Penton wouldn't take a chance on anything big in the way of
a personal loan from the cash, and they'd rather have a teller lose
fifty now and then than to lose business."

In that strain the three old clerks talked about the Business they had
once--and their relatives still--worshipped.

Quite early Sam Robb arrived at the boarding-house. He met Mrs. Greig
on the verandah and looked for signs of news in her eyes. But she
merely wished him good-evening.

"Has Nelson been home yet?" he asked, forgetting to speak about the
beautiful May weather.

"No, I don't think so," said Mrs. Greig.

"I suppose he went over to the Island," thought Robb; "although that
wouldn't seem like Evan. I'll bet this thing has bust him all up."

Absent-mindedly Robb turned the knob of his room door and walked in.
He uttered a whispered exclamation.

On the bed, in his clothes, lay the ex-cash-book man, dead to the
world, as he wanted to be. An uncorked flask almost empty stood on the
dresser, and beside it an unopened flask.

For a moment the humor of the situation struck Robb, and he laughed
silently in a chair. But by degrees his face sobered, and he gazed
pensively out of the window, a shade of sadness reflected in his
countenance. At length he rose and taking the flasks from the dresser
emptied their contents in a basin. Then he took off the sleeper's
shoes and undressed him by degrees. Evan groaned during the exercise
but did not waken. He slept through, indeed, until the following
morning.

Very early he crawled out of bed and doused himself in the bath-tub.
He was sick at his stomach and his head felt like a hogshead;
unaccustomed to liquor as he was, the cognac had taken violent effect.
He staggered, although perfectly "sober," and wondered if he would ever
get his shoes laced. His room-mate in the bed opposite him heard the
rummaging.

"Good night, Evan," he said sleepily, as though just turning in.

For a moment Evan was confused and actually thought it must be evening,
but a smothered chuckle from beneath the sheets of the other bed
notified him that it was really the morning after.

"What time is it?" he asked; "my watch has stopped."

Robb made an effort to keep sober, more than Evan had done the previous
day, and told the time. He dressed with