t accounts for the thing! I'm afraid you were
drunker than I thought."

"You did give me the money," Drummond insisted. "Are you trying to go
back on your promise?"

"Oh, well," said Stormont with an indulgent smile, "in order to satisfy
you, we'll ask Watson." He knocked on the partition and turned to the
clerk as the latter came in. "Mr. Drummond states that I gave him fifty
dollars on the evening you brought him to the Dufferin House. Do you
remember anything about it?"

"Certainly not," said Watson. "You gave him a cigar and some liquor,
though I thought he'd had enough. He fell down the stairs afterwards and
made trouble for me when I saw him home." Watson paused and resumed with
a meaning smile: "It's pretty hard to remember what happens when you've
got on a big jag!"

Drummond colored angrily, but pulled himself together. "I remember I got
the money and told Mr. Stormont about the ore."

"Now I come to think of it, you did tell me a curious story about a
mysterious silver lode," Stormont agreed. "Somewhere in the North,
wasn't it? Anyhow, I didn't give the thing much attention. You can hear
tales of that kind in any miners' saloon."

"That's so," Watson supported him. "Sometimes we hear them in this
office when a crank prospector comes along. All the same, they're not
business propositions."

"You promised me a share in the mine," Drummond declared, and added with
dark suspicion: "I guess you found the ore."

Stormont laughed ironically. "Cut it out, Mr. Drummond! It's a sure
thing I haven't found a silver lode."

"If you're going to turn me down, I'll try somebody else."

"I can't object. In fact, I dare say Watson will give you the addresses
of some people who speculate on mining claims. But you mustn't be
disappointed if they fire you out."

Drummond's face got red and he clenched his fist, for he had already
told his tale to people who heard it with amused incredulity.

"You promised you would make me rich and I've thrown up my job! I've got
about five dollars and don't know what to do!"

"Well," said Stormont coolly, "there's an employment agent a few blocks
up the street and as trade's pretty good it's possible he can find you a
post. That's about the only thing I can think of and I'm occupied just
now--"

Drummond stopped him with a savage gesture and walked out of the room.

"We have fixed him; I guess he won't bother us again," Stormont
remarked.

After leaving the office, Drummond w