as I can."

"If you neglect to do it, I may as well tell you that I shall let it be
known that you stole Walton's pocketbook."

An expression of alarm overspread Luke's face, and he hastily made the
required promise. But he added, "I didn't steal it. I only found it."

"The whole story would be told, and people might think as they pleased.
But it is much better for you to avoid all this by paying your bills."

Luke Harrison left the tailor's shop in a very unhappy and disgusted
frame of mind.

"If I had the sense to wait till it blew over," he said to himself, "I
should have escaped all this: I didn't think Merrill would act so mean.
Now I'm in for paying his infernal bill besides. It's too bad."

Just then he came upon Frank Heath, who hailed him.

"Luke, come and play a game of billiards."

"If you'll promise not to beat me. I haven't got a cent of money."

"You haven't? What have you done with those bills you had this
afternoon?"

"I've paid 'em over to Merrill," said Luke, hesitating.

"He was in a deuced stew about his bill."

"When are your pants going to be ready?"

"I don't know," said Luke, with a pang of sorrow.

"Merrill's making them, isn't he?"

"He says he won't till I pay the whole bill."

"Seems to me your credit ain't very good, Luke."

"It's good enough, be he's hard up for money. I guess he's going to
fail. If you'll lend me a couple of dollars, I'll go around and have a
game."

Frank Heath laughed.

"You'll have to go to some one else, Luke," he said.

Luke passed a disagreeable evening. Cut off by his want of money from
his ordinary amusements, and depressed by the thought that things would
be no better till he had paid his bills, he lounged about, feeling that
he was a victim of ill luck. It did not occur to him that that ill luck
was of his own bringing.

CHAPTER XXII. THE COMING OF THE MAGICIAN

The week passed and Luke carefully avoided our hero going so far as to
cross the street so as not to meet him. On Saturday evening, according
to his arrangement, Luke was to have paid the surplus of his wages,
after meeting his board bill, to Mr. Merrill, for Harry.

But he did not go near him. On Monday, the tailor meeting him, inquired
why he had not kept his agreement.

"The fact is," said Luke, "I have been unlucky."

"How unlucky?"

"I had my wages loose in my pocket, and managed to lose them somehow."

"That is very singular," said the tailor, suspiciousl