e he fought shy of our hero,
knowing that Jerry would not stand his bullying manner.

On Saturday the shop closed down early, and, having nothing else to do,
Jerry walked down to the newspaper office in hope of receiving some answer
to the advertisement for the missing papers.

But no answer was forthcoming and, disappointed, he retraced his steps and
sauntered in the direction in which Nellie Ardell and her little brother
Tommy lived.

"I'll call on them and see how she made out about her rent," he said to
himself, and mounted the stairs to her apartment.

There was a murmur of voices in the kitchen. The door was partly open and
Jerry saw the girl and her little brother standing there, confronted by a
burly man.

"That rent has got to be paid, that's all there is to it," the man was
saying.

"I cannot pay to-day," replied Nellie Ardell. "I will try to pay Monday."

"It won't do. I've given you notice, and if you can't pay, you have got to
leave."

At this the girl burst into tears.

"Would you put me on the street?" she wailed.

"I'll have to--it's orders," replied the burly man doggedly.

"Whose order?"

"Mr. Slocum."

"Mr. Slocum is a very hard-hearted man," cried the girl, indignantly.

"That's so," Jerry put in as he entered.

"Oh, Jerry Upton!" Nellie Ardell cried, when she saw our hero. "This man
wants to put me out of my rooms."

"It's a shame."

"Who are you?" demanded the burly man. "Do you live here?"

"No. I am this young lady's friend, however. Did Mr. Slocum say to put her
out?"

"Yes."

"What shall I do if they put me on the street?" wailed Nellie Ardell.

"I'm sure I don't know. But Slocum sha'n't put you on the street if I can
help it," went on Jerry, suddenly.

"What will you do?"

"How much do you owe him?"

"Twelve dollars. I have four, but he won't take it. He wants the entire
amount."

"I will let you have ten dollars," said our hero, and brought out the bill
Wakefield Smith had dropped.

"Oh, won't that be robbing you?" cried Nellie Ardell, but her eyes
glistened with pleasure.

"Never mind; take it and pay this man off."

Nellie Ardell accepted the amount without further words.

"Now," she said, as she paid the man, "I am going to move."

"Move! What for?"

"I can get better rooms for less money just across the way."

The burly man's face fell. He was Alexander Slocum's agent, and he knew
that to get tenants for the rooms Nellie Ardell occupied would be