on the back and begging him repeatedly
to brace up and not behave like that, I did nothing. At last his sobs
ceased and he was silent. I had risen from my chair and now I
stood there with a hand on his shoulder; the ticking of the ancient
eight-sided clock on the wall sounded loud in the room.

Suddenly he sat up and threw off my hand.

"Well," he said, bitterly, "I'm a fine specimen of a man, ain't I. Ain't
you proud of me?"

"I am mighty sorry for you," I answered. "And I mean to help you."

"You can't."

"How do you know?"

"Because I do know, Ros," he turned and looked me straight in the eye.
"I am going to give you some good advice. Take it, for your own sake.
Clear out of here and leave me. Don't have anything more to do with me.
Clear out."

I did not move.

"Are you going to do as I tell you?" he demanded. "Mind, I'm telling you
this for your own good. Will you clear out and leave me?"

I smiled. "Of course not," I answered.

"Don't be a fool. You can't afford to be my friend. Clear out and leave
me, do you hear?"

"I hear. Now, George, what is it?"

His fingers tapped the table. I could see he was making up his mind.

"You want to know?" he said. "You won't be satisfied until you do?"

"I have made that fairly plain, I hope. At least I've tried to."

His fist clenched and he struck the table.

"Then, by the Almighty, I'll tell you!" he cried, fiercely. "It'll be
all over the county in a week. You might as well know it now. I'm a
crook. I'm a thief. I've stolen money from this bank and I can't pay it
back because I haven't got it and can't get it. I'm a crook, I tell you,
and in a week or so it'll be the county jail for mine. Unless--unless,"
with a significant glance at the drawer, "something else happens to me
in the meantime. There; now you know. Are you satisfied? Are you happy
because you've found out?"

I did not answer. To tell the truth I was not entirely overcome by
surprise at the disclosure. I had begun to suspect something of the
sort. Yet, now that my suspicions were confirmed, I was too greatly
shocked and horrified to speak at once.

"Well?" he sneered. "Now will you clear out and let me settle this my
own way?"

I pulled my chair forward and sat down.

"Tell me all about it, George," I said, as calmly as I could. "How much
is it?"

He stared at me aghast. "You won't go?" he cried. "You--you are going to
stick by me even--even--"

"There! there! pull yourself togethe