"In the beginning there was a man whose name was John."

"Sounds like the start of the Bible," grinned Connor. "Shoot ahead and
let's get at the real dope."

"Hush!"

Without raising her eyes, she brushed aside the hand of Connor which had
fallen on the side of the ledger. Her own took its place, ready to turn
the page.

"In the beginning there was a man whose name was John. The Lord looked
upon John and saw his sins. He struck John therefor. First He took two
daughters from John, but still the man was blind and did not read the
writing of his Maker. And God struck down the eldest son of John, and
John sorrowed, but did not understand. Thereat, all in a day, the Lord
took from John his wife and his lands and his goods, which were many and
rich.

"Then John looked about him, and lo! he was alone.

"In the streets his friends forgot him and saw not his passing. The
sound of his own footfall was lonely in his house, and he was left alone
with his sins.

"So he knew that it was the hand of God which struck him, and he heard
a voice which said in the night to him: 'O John, ye who have been too
much with the world must leave it and go into the wilderness.'

"Then the heart of John smote him and he prayed God to send him not out
alone, and God relented and told him to go forth and take with him three
simple men.

"So John on the next morning called to his Negro, a slave who was all
that remained in his hands.

"'Abraham,' he said, 'you who were a slave are free.'

"Then he went into the road and walked all the day until his feet bled.
He rested by the side of the road and one came who kneeled before him
and washed his feet, and John saw that it was Abraham. And Abraham said:
'I was born into your service and I can only die out of it.'

"They went on together until they came to three robbers fighting with
one strong man, and John helped this man and drove away the robbers.

"Then the tall man began to laugh. 'They would have robbed me because I
was once rich,' he said, 'but another thief had already plundered me,
and they have gotten only broken heads for their industry.' Then John
was sorry for the fortune that was stolen.

"'Not I,' said the tall man, 'but I am sorry for the brother I lost with
the money.' Then he told them how his own brother had cheated him.
'But,' he said, 'there is only one way to beat the devil, and that is to
laugh at him.'

"Now John saw this was a good man, so he opened his hear