as "a square," for on opposite sides of
the street as they passed Checkers noticed that most of the buildings
were stores, with their low-burning lamps keeping watch through the
night.

A few moments more and the 'bus drove up, and stopped before a low
brick building.

Kendall, who had fallen asleep in his corner, awoke, and with a "here
we are," jumped out and ushered Checkers into an ill-smelling room,
where a heavy-eyed youth did the honors as clerk, and then lowering
himself to the office of bell-boy, took their luggage and showed them
the way to their room.

Arriving, they stood in the darkness, until he succeeded in lighting,
with a sulphur match, a very much smoked little kerosene lamp, after
which he brought them a pitcher of water, and departed without the
formality of a "good night."

Immediately Arthur began to undress. This was all an old, old story to
him. But Checkers fell to looking about him. He found that the door
had no lock upon it, and that the windows opened wide upon a low
veranda; that they boasted no screens, nor could he find that the beds
had any mosquito-bars.

Kendall's face expressed a sleepy surprise. "Come on, old man; get
undressed," he said, "it's nearly 4 o'clock. We have n't any too much
time to sleep."

Checkers' only reply was to pull off his coat, and to sit down and
begin to unfasten his shoes. A couple of June-bugs, attracted by the
light, flew in at the window, and bumping around in their noisy,
disagreeable way, gave Checkers an uncomfortable, crawly feeling.

The truth was, Checkers was wholly metropolitan, and this was a new
experience. The darkness and silence disheartened and cowed him. He
missed the confusion and glare of the city.

Kendall had fallen fast asleep, and was breathing loudly in half a
minute. But Checkers lay wide-eyed and wondering, listening to the
locusts and katydids outdoing themselves in the trees outside.

And then he fell to speculating about his chances for the future,
wondering what the probable outcome of this new venture of his was to
be. Had n't he been foolish in coming to such a God-forsaken little
place? He might have borrowed some money from Kendall, and stayed at
the Springs and recouped.

And now that, after several days of solicitous care and constant
watching, he had succeeded in pulling Kendall through without his
giving way to the terrible after-craving he had for liquor, would the
promises made him be fulfilled,