sed an evening with his son at
the latter's lodgings.

Much to his relief, he found James in an unusually agreeable mood; and,
although the younger man made no effort to move from the comfortable
position he had assumed with the assistance of an extra chair for his
feet, the welcome extended was far more cordial than that to which the
elder Riley was accustomed.

"Well, well, well," the old man ejaculated, as he closed the door and
stood for a moment contemplating the scene before him. James smiled
complacently at the look of mingled surprise and admiration his father
so plainly showed, as his eye roved from the new pieces of gaudy
furniture to the box of cigars upon the table, particularly noting the
attitude which the son assumed as the nearest he could imagine to that
of a gentleman in repose.

"Well, well, well," Riley repeated, coming down to earth again, and
seating himself upon a near-by chair not required for James's feet,
which the host had been too preoccupied to think of offering. "Things is
comin' good f'r ye, ain't they, Jimmie?"

The old man had discovered a fact which James had no desire to dispute,
so he admitted it graciously, at the same time blowing clouds of smoke
from his over-fragrant cigar.

"They is," he replied, sententiously; "and soon they'll be comin' better
still."

"Ah, Jimmie"--the old man lowered his voice--"are ye goin' ter run f'r
mayor?"

"Not--yet," James replied, dwelling upon his words in such a way as to
convince his hearer that the delay was wholly a matter of his own
convenience. "Politics is movin' some, father, but 'tis in my private
capacity that I'm makin' my present strides."

"So," murmured Riley; "an' phwat may ye'er private capacity be, Jimmie?"

"'Tis of a confidential nature," he replied, loftily.

"Has it ter do wid Misther Robert?"

"Him--and others."

"Who is th' others?" the old man persisted.

"That's my affair. 'Tis confidential, I tell you."

"Not wid me, Jimmie," Riley begged; "not when I've watched over Misther
Robert iver sence he was a little la-ad, not wid me when I've brought ye
up fr'm a howlin' little brat. There can't be nothin' confidential, I
tell ye, when it's affectin' thim I loves best in all th' whole wide
world. Shure ye'll tell me about it, Jimmie, shure ye will."

In James's present mood, it was easier to talk than to keep silent. If
his father really knew the importance of the part he felt himself to he
playing in Mr. Gorham