st know their characters!

A moment later the servant returned.

"Yes, Mr. Rimmon is in. He will be down directly; will the gentleman
wait?"

Keith took his seat and inspected the books on the table--a number of
magazines, a large work on Exegesis, several volumes of poetry, the
Social Register, and a society journal that contained the gossip and
scandal of the town.

Presently Mr. Rimmon was heard descending the stair. He had a light
footfall, extraordinarily light in one so stout; for he had grown
rounder with the years.

"Ah, Mr. Keith. I believe we have met before. What can I do for you?" He
held Keith's card in his hand, and was not only civil, but almost
cordial. But he did not ask Keith to sit down.

Keith said he had come to him hoping to obtain a little information
which he was seeking for a friend. He was almost certain that Mr. Rimmon
could give it to him.

"Oh, yes. Well? I shall be very glad, I am sure, if I can be of service
to you. It is a part of our profession, you know. What is it?"

"Why," said Keith, "it is in regard to a marriage ceremony--a marriage
that took place in this city three or four years ago, about the middle
of November three years ago. I think you possibly performed the
ceremony."

"Yes, yes. What are the names of the contracting parties? You see, I
solemnize a good many marriage ceremonies. For some reason, a good many
persons come to me. My church is rather--popular, you see. I hate to
have 'fashionable' applied to holy things. I cannot tell without
their names."

"Why, of course," said Keith, struck by the sudden assumption of a
business manner. "The parties were Ferdinand C. Wickersham and a young
girl, named Euphronia Tripper."

Keith was not consciously watching Mr. Rimmon, but the change in him was
so remarkable that it astonished him. His round jaw actually dropped for
a second. Keith knew instantly that he was the man. His inquiry had
struck home. The next moment, however, Mr. Rimmon had recovered himself.
A single glance shot out of his eyes, so keen and suspicious that Keith
was startled. Then his eyes half closed again, veiling their flash of
hostility.

"F.C. Wickershaw and Euphronia Trimmer?" he repeated half aloud, shaking
his head. "No, I don't remember any such names. No, I never united in
the bonds of matrimony any persons of those names. I am quite positive."
He spoke decisively.

"No, not Wicker_shaw_--F.C. Wicker_sham_ and Euphronia Tripper. Ferdy