eful myself before going to
bed."

The novelty of this sort of ministration was in itself sufficient to
lift a weary and discouraged spirit. Mrs. Owen measured his whiskey, and
poured it into a tall glass, explaining as she did so that a friend of
hers in Louisville kept her supplied out of the stores of the Pendennis
Club.

"It's off the wood. This bottled drug-store whiskey is poison. I'd just
as lief take paregoric. I drew this from my own 'bar'l' this morning.
Don't imagine I'm a heavy consumer. A 'bar'l' lasts me a long time. I
divide it around among my friends. Remind me to give you some to take
home. Try one of those cigars; John Ware keeps a box here. If they're
cabbage leaf it isn't my fault."

"No, thanks, Sally. You're altogether too kind to me. It's mighty good
to be here, I can tell you."

"Now that you are here, Andrew, I want you to remember that I'm getting
on and you're just a trifle ahead of me on the dusty pike that has no
turning."

"I wish I had your eternal youth, Sally. I feel about ninety-nine
to-night."

"That's the reason I'm keeping you up. You came here to talk about
something that's on your mind, and the sooner it's over the better. No
use in your lying awake all night."

Professor Kelton played with his glass and moved uneasily in his chair.

"Come right out with it, Andrew. If it's money that worries you, don't
waste any time explaining how it happened; just tell me how much. I had
my bank book balanced yesterday and I've got exactly twelve thousand
four hundred and eighteen dollars and eleven cents down at Tom Adams's
bank. If you can use it you're welcome; if it ain't enough I'm about to
sell a bunch o' colts I've got on my Lexington place and they're good
for six thousand more. I can close the trade by a night telegram right
now."

Kelton laughed. The sums she named so lightly represented wealth beyond
the dreams of avarice. It afforded him infinite relief to be able to
talk to her, and though he had come to the city for the purpose, his
adventures of the day with banks and trust companies had given a new
direction to his needs. But the habit of secrecy, of fighting out his
battles alone, was so thoroughly established that he found it difficult
to enter into confidences even when this kind-hearted friend made the
way easy for him.

"Come, out with it, Andrew. You're the only person I know who's never
come to me with troubles. I'd begun to think you were among the lucky
on