? I don't want to pry into your affairs, but I would like to
help you. If I can't, perhaps I can get some one who can. I know Mr.
Weatherby or Captain Turton would be glad to aid you."

"You are of much kindness to me," replied the other, while he tried to
regain control of his feelings. "My name is Hugo Kesterberg. I used to
live in New York, where I did work in a German importing house. I have
been in dis country not long, so I speak not der language so goot."

"I can understand you very well," said Nat.

"I haf a good place, und I am learning der business," went on young
Kesterberg, "ven an uncle of mine, in der Vaterland, he die, und leave
me vat you call legs--legs easy."

"Legacy," put in Nat.

"Yes, dot is him, legacy. Your American vords are so hard to speak
right. Vell, he leaves me some money, but I am a such foolish fellow.
Instead of putting my legs easy--I mean legacy--in der bank, I start
in to have a goot time--I am vat you call a sport. I treat all my
friends, und I get in vid a sporty crowd. I buy goot clothes, und I
have lots of fun.

"Pretty soon, not long after I gets my legacy, der head of der firm
vere I work, he say dey no longer needs me, for you see I am foolish,
und I no longer look after my vork. But dot I lose my job make me not
for to care. I still haf plenty of monies left, und I haf more good
times."

"Then what is the trouble, if you have plenty of money?" asked Nat.
"The trouble with most people is that they haven't got enough."

"Dot's me--exactly!" exclaimed Hugo. "I got to gambling und playing
der races, und yesterday I found I haf not enough left, after I had
been traveling about for some time, to pay my board for vun veek, in a
decent place. I buys me a ticket on dis boat, for as far a distance as
I haf money, und I decide I vill end it all. Und so I vould, only you
stop me."

He added the last bitterly.

"Yes, I'm glad I stopped you, and you'll be glad too, before long,"
declared Nat firmly. "Why, you're no worse off than you were before.
You had a lot of money, and you had a good time with it. Now you'll
have to go back to work again."

"Ach! Dot's vat you Americans call der rubber," said the German.

"The rubber?" repeated Nat, a bit puzzled.

"I mean der rub--dot's vere der shoes nabs me--I mean pinch. I can't
go back to my old place, und I don't know how to get vork in any odder
place. Dere is no use for me to live. I makes an end to myself, ven ve
gets to der