hushed the laughter.

"They had better not hound that man much farther," one man at the
table on the right whispered to his companion, who nodded, with sharp
eyes on Carroll's face. They were both newspaper-men.

When Carroll had paid his bill and passed out, one of the men, young
and clean-shaven, pressed close to his side.

"Pardon me, sir," he said, "but if you would allow me to express my
regrets and sympathy--"

"No regrets nor sympathy are required, thank you, sir," replied
Carroll.

"If I could be of any assistance," persisted the man, who was short
in his weekly column and not easily daunted.

"No assistance is required, thank you, sir," replied Carroll.

The man retreated, and rejoined his companion at the table.

"Get anything out of him?" asked the other.

"No, but I can make something out of him, I guess."

"Poor devil!" said the other man.

"It might have paid to shadow him," said the first man, thoughtfully.
"I shouldn't wonder if he took a bee-line for a drug-store. He looked
desperate."

"Or perhaps the park. He looks like the sort that might have a pistol
around somewhere."

This man actually, after a second's reflection, left his luncheon and
hastened after Carroll, but he did not find him. Carroll had
recovered himself and had taken the Elevated up-town to answer
another advertisement. That was one for a book-keeper, and there was
also unsuccessful. Coming out, he stood on the corner, looking at his
list. He had written down nearly every want in the advertising
columns. Actually he had even thought of trying for a position as
coachman. He certainly could drive and could care for horses, and he
considered quite impartially that he might make a good appearance in
a livery on a fashionable turn-out. He had left now on his list only
two which he had not tried; one was for a superintendent to care for
a certain public building, a small museum. He had really a somewhat
better chance there, apparently, for he had at one time known one of
the trustees quite well. For that very reason he had put it off until
the last, for he dreaded meeting an old acquaintance, and, too, there
was a chance, though not a very good one, that the acquaintance might
work harm instead of advantage. Still, the trustee had been in Europe
for several years past, and the chances were that he would know
nothing derogatory to Carroll which would interfere with his
obtaining the position.

He reached the building, took