ny two evils: when you are enduring the
one you think you'd rather endure the other. Let us hope and pray that
this is the last night for us in this particular sheol, at least. I've
heard and read a good bit about the insect pests of the northern woods,
and I have always taken it with a grain of salt. That is another mistake
I shall never make again."

"They were not bad on the St. Lawrence nor in Quebec," observed the
other martyr.

The mention of Quebec started a new subject or, rather, revived an old
one, and they fell to talking of their short experience in the historic
city. One thing leading to another, Prime went more specifically into
his evening excursion with the athletic young fellow who had seemed so
anxious to increase the dividends of the motion-picture houses and the
cafes.

"He was a handsome fellow, and he didn't begin to have the face of a
villain," he commented. "A good talker too. He had travelled--been
everywhere. One of the pictures we saw was a 'Western,' and that brought
on more talk. I remember he told me a lot about his own experience in
the British Columbia mines. It was great stuff. He had been manager and
general factotum for some rich old money-bags--if he wasn't lying to me
and making it all up out of whole cloth."

"He didn't do anything to make you suspect that he might have designs
upon you?"

"Not a thing in the world. He was as frank and open-hearted as a boy.
There wasn't anything peculiar about him except his habit of looking at
his watch every few minutes. I asked him once if I was keeping him from
an appointment, and he laughed and said he wished that I were; wished
that he were well enough acquainted in the city to be able to make
appointments."

"Did he tell you his name?" queried the weeping listener.

"He did, and ever since we woke up and found ourselves back yonder on
the lake shore I have been trying to recall it. It is gone completely.
'Bender' is the nearest I can come to it, and that isn't it."

"Would you know it if you should hear it?"

"I am sure I should. It was a queer name, and I remember thinking at the
time that I would jot it down and use it for the name of a character in
a story--simply because it was so delightfully odd."

"Tell me," she broke in quickly; "was this young man of yours fair, with
blue eyes, and hair that reminded you a little of a hayfield?"

"That is the man!"

"How would 'Bandish' do for the name?" she asked.

"You've got it!