rms--such was his life, and he never complained. Eugene
remembered commiserating him once on having to get up at four A. M. in
order to take a train which would get to work by seven. Darkness and
cold made no difference to him, however.

"Shewer, I have to be theyre," he had replied with his quizzical Irish
grin. "They're not payin' me me wages fer lyin' in bed. If ye were to
get up that way every day fer a year it would make a man of ye!"

"Oh, no," said Eugene teasingly.

"Oh, yes," said Deegan, "it would. An' yere the wan that's needin' it. I
can tell that by the cut av ye."

Eugene resented this but it stayed by him. Deegan had the habit of
driving home salutary lessons in regard to work and abstemiousness
without really meaning to. The two were wholly representative of
him--just those two things and nothing more.

One day he went down into Printing House Square to see if he could not
make up his mind to apply at one of the newspaper art departments, when
he ran into Hudson Dula whom he had not seen for a long while. The
latter was delighted to see him.

"Why, hello, Witla!" he exclaimed, shocked to see that he was
exceptionally thin and pale. "Where have you been all these years? I'm
delighted to see you. What have you been doing? Let's go over here to
Hahn's and you tell me all about yourself."

"I've been sick, Dula," said Eugene frankly. "I had a severe case of
nervous breakdown and I've been working on the railroad for a change. I
tried all sorts of specialists, but they couldn't help me. So I decided
to go to work by the day and see what that would do. I got all out of
sorts with myself and I've been pretty near four years getting back. I
think I am getting better, though. I'm going to knock off on the road
one of these days and try my hand at painting again. I think I can do
it."

"Isn't that curious," replied Dula reminiscently, "I was just thinking
of you the other day and wondering where you were. You know I've quit
the art director game. _Truth_ failed and I went into the lithographic
business. I have a small interest in a plant that I'm managing down in
Bond Street. I wish you'd come in and see me some day."

"I certainly will," said Eugene.

"Now this nervousness of yours," said Dula, as they strolled into the
restaurant where they were dining. "I have a brother-in-law that was hit
that way. He's still doctoring around. I'm going to tell him about your
case. You don't look so bad."

"I'm f