le
Buzz ordered rolls and coffee. Joe took rolls and coffee. There was a
period of silence as they waited.

Directly Mr. Mosby began talking in a low tone: "It's a rather
fortunate thing you came up this week-end, Joseph. I was rather afraid
you mightn't." He paused and Joe, while he felt reasonably sure of
just what would come next, listened with polite interest.

"I've been troubled with frightful headaches this past week," he
continued, "so severe that I could scarcely see the open page before
me."

Joe murmured his regret over the cup's brim.

The old man paused and seemed to consider. Then hesitantly continuing:
"If you could spare an hour or two this afternoon----?"

"Surely I can, Uncle Buzz. Easiest thing you know."

The old man breathed deep and long and set down his coffee cup. "It is
a trifling matter of some forty-six dollars. Would you like to go out
to Montgomery's this afternoon? He has a couple of two-year-olds that
he will be shipping down for the Derby now pretty soon."

"I'd be very pleased to, Uncle Buzz."

And thus was the matter broached, and the matter accepted, without any
bald reference to necessity, without the slightest violation to the
tenets of hospitality. No reference was made to a previous
understanding. Joe's visit was established on a purely social basis,
and as such it would be presented to Mrs. Mosby, whose penchant for
alarm might thus escape stimulus.

They finished their lunch hurriedly and made their way across to the
"Golden Rule," where Uncle Buzz led his charge with swift, silent
steps back to the little private office in the rear of the store. Once
inside, the door was closed and the books quickly opened upon the
table. "They are always a bit impatient for the balance this time of
the year," Mr. Mosby offered in explanation.

An hour's work sufficed to find the trouble. It was in the carrying
forward of a single account. Once found, the rest was very simple, and
at three o'clock Uncle Buzz slammed the ledger shut with an air of
complete satisfaction, walked confidently through the door into the
adjoining office with his little sheaf of papers, and returning
reached for his hat. "Burrus is out," he said crisply. "We won't
wait."

Joe likewise reached for his hat.

At the door the old man turned, and with a reminiscent smile and in a
confidential tone, "There is a lot of personal jealousy in this firm."

Joe expressed no surprise.

"He's just been elected deac