feller that's got the brick has got to look that."

"I can look anyway a'most," said Mr. Gubb with pride.

"Do tell!" said Mr. Critz, and so it was arranged that the first
rehearsal of the gold-brick game should take place the next evening,
but as Mr. Gubb turned away Mr. Critz deftly slipped something into
the student detective's coat pocket.

It was toward noon the next day that Mr. Critz, peering over his
spectacles and avoiding as best he could the pails of paste, entered
the parlor of the vacant house where Mr. Gubb was at work.

"I just come around," said Mr. Critz, rather reluctantly, "to say you
better not say nothing to your friend. I guess that deal's off."

"Pshaw, now!" said Mr. Gubb. "You don't mean so!"

"I don't mean nothing in the way of aspersions, you mind," said Mr.
Critz with reluctance, "but I guess we better call it off. Of course,
so far as I know, you are all right--"

"I don't know what you're gettin' at," said Mr. Gubb. "Why don't you
say it?"

"Well, I been buncoed so often," said Mr. Critz. "Seem's like any one
can get money from me any time and any way, and I got to thinkin' it
over. I don't know anything about you, do I? And here I am, going to
give you a gold-brick that cost me fifteen hundred dollars, and let
you go out and wait until I come for it with your friend, and--well,
what's to stop you from just goin' away with that brick and never
comin' back?"

Mr. Gubb looked at Mr. Critz blankly.

"I've went and told my friend," he said. "He's all ready to start in."

"I hate it, to have to say it," said Mr. Critz, "but when I come to
count over them bills I lent you to cap the shell game with, there was
a five-dollar one short."

"I know," said Gubb, turning red. "And if you go over there to my
coat, you'll find it in my pocket, all ready to hand back to you. I
don't know how I come to keep it in my pocket. Must ha' missed it,
when I handed you back the rest."

"Well, I had a notion it was that way," said Mr. Critz kindly. "You
look like you was honest, Mr. Gubb. But a thousand-dollar gold-brick,
that any bank will pay a hundred dollars for--I got to get out of this
way of trustin' everybody--"

Mr. Critz was evidently distressed.

"If 'twas anybody else but you," he said with an effort, "I'd make
him put up a hundred dollars to cover the cost of a brick like that
whilst he had it. There! I've said it, and I guess you're mad!"

"I ain't mad," protested Mr. Gubb, "'long