e in late and go out early,
I have never found it available for hospitality, even to my intimate
friends. I am very glad, however, that the little leisure I have had in
it has enabled me to make the floor less lonely for your children."

Mr. Bodine got up with an affected yawn, turned an embarrassed yet
darkening eye on Breeze, and lunged unsteadily to the door. "And as I
only happened in to do the reg'lar thing between high-toned gen'lemen,
I reckon we kin say 'Quits.'" He gave a coarse laugh, said "So long,"
nodded, stumbled into the passage, and thence into the other room.

His companion watched him pass out with a relieved yet protecting air,
and then, closing the door softly, drew nearer to Breeze, and said in
husky confidence,--

"Ye ain't seein' him at his best, mister! He's bin drinkin' too much,
and this yer news has upset him."

"What news?" asked Breeze.

"This yer suicide o' Irish Jack!"

"Was he his friend?"

"Friend?" ejaculated the man, horrified at the mere suggestion. "Not
much! Why, Irish Jack was the only man that could hev hung Jim! Now he's
dead, in course the Vigilants ain't got no proof agin Jim. Jim wants to
face it out now an' stay here, but his wife and me don't see it noways!
So we are taking advantage o' the lull agin him to get him off down the
coast this very night. That's why he's been off his head drinkin'. Ye
see, when a man has been for weeks hidin'--part o' the time in that
room and part o' the time on the wharf, where them Vigilants has been
watchin' every ship that left in order to ketch him, he's inclined to
celebrate his chance o' getting away"--

"Part of the time in that room?" interrupted Breeze quickly.

"Sartin! Don't ye see? He allus kem in as you went out--sabe!--and got
away before you kem back, his wife all the time just a-hoverin' between
the two places, and keeping watch for him. It was killin' to her, you
see, for she wasn't brought up to it, whiles Jim didn't keer--had two
revolvers and kalkilated to kill a dozen Vigilants afore he dropped. But
that's over now, and when I've got him safe on that 'plunger' down at
the wharf to-night, and put him aboard the schooner that's lying off the
Heads, he's all right agin."

"And Roberts knew all this and was one of his friends?" asked Breeze.

"Roberts knew it, and Roberts's wife used to be a kind of servant
to Jim's wife in the South, when she was a girl, but I don't know ez
Roberts is his FRIEND!"

"He certainly