reply. If impossible for you to come immediately, I will run
down to your office.

"Yours, RIMMON."

When Mr. Wickersham received this note, he was in his office. He frowned
as he glanced at the handwriting. He said to himself:

"He wants more money, I suppose. He is always after money, curse him. He
must deal in some other office as well as in this." He started to toss
the note aside, but on second thought he tore it open. For a moment he
looked puzzled, then a blank expression passed over his face.

He turned to the messenger-boy, who was waiting and chewing gum with the
stolidity of an automaton.

"Did they tell you to wait for an answer?"

"Sure!"

He leant over and scribbled a line and sealed it. "Take that back."

"Yes, sir." The automaton departed, glancing from side to side and
chewing diligently.

The note read: "Will meet you at club at five."

As the messenger passed up the street, a smallish man who had come
down-town on the same car with him, and had been reading a newspaper on
the street for some little time, crossed over and accosted him.

"Can you take a note for me?"

"Where to?"

"Up-town. Where are you going?"

The boy showed his note.

"Um--hum! Well, my note will be right on your way." He scribbled a line.
It read: "Can't be back till eight. Look out for Shepherd. Pay boy 25 if
delivered before four."

"You drop this at that number before four o'clock and you'll get a
quarter."

Then he passed on.

That afternoon Keith walked up toward the Park. All day he had been
trying to find Phrony, and laying plans for her relief when she should
be found. The avenue was thronged with gay equipages and richly dressed
women, yet among all his friends in New York there was but one woman to
whom he could apply in such a case--Alice Lancaster. Old Mrs. Wentworth
would have been another, but he could not go to her now, since his
breach with Norman. He knew that there were hundreds of good, kind
women; they were all about him, but he did not know them. He had chosen
his friends in another set. The fact that he knew no others to whom he
could apply struck a sort of chill to his heart. He felt lonely and
depressed. He determined to go to Dr. Templeton. There, at least, he was
sure of sympathy.

He turned to go back down-town, and at a little distance caught sight of
Lois Huntington. Suddenly a light appeared to break in on his gloom.
Here was a woman to whom he could confide his trouble with