ills out of his pocket, "you will find the
whole amount."

"Not at all," said the Sergeant, "not at all, my dear fellow. I thought
it right you should know--be prepared, you understand."

"Thank you, Sergeant," said The Don. "Any time my books can be seen.
Good-bye."

The Don went in to Shock, sent the nurse out for a walk, shut the door,
and then, returning to the bed, threw himself on his knees.

"Oh, Shock," he said, "this is too much. What can I say?"

"Nothing at all, old chap. Don't say anything What is that between us?
We have been through too many things together to have this bother us."

"Shock! Shock!" continued The Don, "I have been an awful fool, a blank,
cursed fool!"

"Don't swear, old chap," said Shock.

"No, no, I won't, but I curse myself. I have been waiting for this
chance to tell you. I don't want you to think too badly of me. This
thing began in Hickey's saloon some days before that night. He was
playing some fellows from the camp a skin game. I called him down and
he challenged me. I took him up, and cleaned him out easily enough. You
know my old weakness. The fever came back upon me, and I got going for
some days. That night I was called to visit a sick girl at Nancy's. The
gang came in, found me there, and throwing down their money dared me to
play. Well, I knew it was play or fight. I took of my coat and went for
them. They cleaned me out, I can't tell how. I could not get on to
their trick. Then, determined to find out, I put up that--that other
money, you know--and I was losing it fast, too, when you came in."

As Shock listened to The Don's story his face grew brighter and
brighter.

"My dear fellow," he said in a tone of relief, "is that all? Is that
the whole thing? Tell me, as God hears you!"

"That's the whole story, as God hears me!" said The Don solemnly.

"Oh, thank God!" said Shock. "I thought--I was afraid--" He paused,
unable to go on.

"What! You thought I had forgotten," cried The Don. "Well, I confess
things did look bad. But I want to tell you I am clean, and may God
kill me before I can forget! No, no woman shall ever touch my lips
while I live. Do you believe me, Shock?"

Shock put out his hand. He was still too much moved to speak.

At length he said: "Nothing else matters, Don. I could not bear the
other thing."

For some minutes the friends sat in silence.

"But, Don," said Shock at length, "you can not go on this way. Your
whole life is being ruined.