but the waif behind him answered:

"Wasn't last night. I was on the end of the line and didn't git no
coffee. Guess there'll be enough to-night, though, 'cause it's New
Year."

"If they don't have coffee to-night I'll die," shivered Perner.

Livingstone stood ahead of Perner in the line.

"If it stops with me I'll give you mine," he said. "I'm not hungry, nor
cold, either."

The waif in front of him and the waif behind Van Dorn both made an
effort to see Livingstone.

"What are you doing here, then?" growled the man behind. He saw that the
three ahead of him were better dressed than the others and regarded them
suspiciously. "What did you fellers come here for, anyway?"

There was a chance for a final joke. It fell to Perner:

"We've been keeping up a whole family," he chattered,--"several whole
families. Now we're broke."

"You can have my place in the line," added Livingstone, and they
changed.

The incident attracted little attention. Storm, cold, and hunger had
deadened the instinct of curiosity natural to every human bosom.
Presently Livingstone leaned forward and murmured to Van Dorn:

"Look at that old chap ahead yonder--around the corner. How he crouches
and shivers! Isn't that great?"

Van Dorn looked as directed--then more keenly.

"Good God!" he said, "it's Colonel Hazard!" He leaned forward to Perner.
"Isn't that the Colonel," he asked,--"that old fellow just around the
corner, with his collar full of sleet?"

"By gad, it is!" decided Livingstone.

"We'll take him back with us," said Perner. "Poor old Colonel!"

The waif from behind was talking again. He had turned around so they
could hear.

"Last New Year there was some blokes come along an' give us a nickel
apiece all round. I was on the end an' got two. When they went away one
of 'em said they was comin' back to-night to give us a dollar apiece."

"They won't come," said Perner.

"How d' y' know?"

"We're the men."

"Aw, what yeh givin' us?"

"Facts. We've started a paper since then."

A party of roisterers came shouting across the street.

"Come and have a drink," they called. "Come on, you fellows, and have a
drink with us!"

A number of men left their places in the line and went. Perner watched
one of them intently.

"If that fellow isn't Bates you can drink my coffee," he said, pointing.

Van Dorn and Livingstone looked, but could not be certain. They did not
see him return.

It was somewhat after midnight, and t