et, and so widely had his
friend's life branched from his.

Purdy's answer--it was headed "The Ovens"--did not arrive till several
weeks later, and was mainly about himself.

IN A WAY I'M WITH YOU, OLD PILL-BOX, he wrote. YOU'LL CUT A JOLLY SIGHT
BETTER FIGURE AS AN M.D. THEN EVER YOU'VE DONE BEHIND A COUNTER. BUT I
DON'T KNOW THAT I'D CARE TO STAKE MY LAST DOLLAR ON YOU ALL THE SAME.
WHAT DOES MRS. POLLY SAY?--AS FOR ME, OLD BOY, SINCE YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH
TO ASK, WHY THE LESS SAID THE BETTER. ONE OF THESE DAYS A POOR WORN OLD
SHICER'LL COME CRAWLING ROUND TO YOUR BACK DOOR TO SEE IF YOU'VE ANY
CAST-OFF DUDS YOU CAN SPARE HIM. SERIOUSLY, DICK, OLD MAN, I'M
STONY-BROKE ONCE MORE AND THE LORD ONLY KNOWS HOW I'M GOING TO WIN
THROUGH.

In the course of that winter, custom died a natural death; and one day,
the few oddments that remained having been sold by auction, Mahony and
his assistant nailed boards horizontally across the entrance to the
store. The day of weighing out pepper and salt was over; never again
would the tinny jangle of the accursed bell smite his ears. The next
thing was that Hempel packed his chattels and departed for his new walk
in life. Mahony was not sorry to see him go. Hempel's thoughts had
soared far above the counter; he was arrived at the stage of: "I'm just
as good as you!" which everyone here reached sooner or later.

"I shall always be pleased to hear how you are getting on."

Mahony spoke kindly, but in a tone which, as Polly who stood by, very
well knew, people were apt to misunderstand.

"I should think so!" she chimed in. "I shall feel very hurt indeed,
Hempel, if you don't come and see us."

With regard to Long Jim, she had a talk with her husband one night as
they went to bed.

"There really won't be anything for him to do in the new house. No
heavy crates or barrels to move about. And he doesn't know a thing
about horses. Why not let him go home?--he does so want to. What would
you say, dear, to giving him thirty pounds for his passage-money and a
trifle in his pocket? It would make him very happy, and he'd be off
your hands for good.--Of course, though, just as you think best."

"We shall need every penny we can scrape together, for ourselves,
Polly. And yet, my dear, I believe you're right. In the new house, as
you say, he'll be a mere encumbrance. As for me, I'd be only too
thankful never to hear his cantankerous old pipe again. I don't know
now what evil genius prompted