h one?" said David.

"Why, the one where they'd chopped the man's head off with that machine,
and were standing by, looking at the corpse. I don't like to see such
things, for my part."

"I don't know," said David. "I did n't think about it particularly. I
understood it was in the French Revolution."

"Well, see all that flummer-diddle he got off about it," said Green;
"just as if any fool did n't know that a man could n't sleep that was
haunted by a thing like that."

"Well, some can stomach anything, and I suppose some can sleep on
anything," said David. "I guess it would take more than slicing one
man's head off to make that Jew lie awake nights. If he 'd only admitted
that I 'd been there! But as soon as I said I 'd left something, then
for him and his wife to claim they never saw me! They 're cool ones!"

"Well, right here,--about what my wife flung out," said Green, glancing
over his shoulder to where the women were talking, both at once,
woman-fashion; "you know my wife's way,--you haven't ever heard any such
talk going round, have you, as that I was hounding folks about your bad
luck? I say an honest man speaks right out,--no fear, no favor. Ain't
that so?"

*****

It was a bitterly cold, clear night, a few weeks later. Runners squeaked
and boot-heels crunched in the road. David had passed Green's house at
seven o'clock, going to the store; he always went by there at that time,
Saturdays, and passed again, returning home, at about eight.

When he reached the gate, on his return, Green was standing there,
apparently waiting.

"Come into the house a minute, David," he said; "I want to see you."

He led him into the kitchen.

"My wife's gone over to Aunt Nathan's for the evening," he said.

He shut the door, and locked it.

"There!" he said; "I can't stand it any longer;" and he laid upon a
table at David's side a wallet. David took it up and opened it; it held
a great roll of bills.

"What does this mean?" he said; "why--this is mine! You don't mean--"

"I mean I stole it," said Green.

David sat down. "I wish you had put it in the fire," he said, "and never
told me."

"There 's just one thing I want to say," said Green. "I picked it
up, first, to give it to you, and when I saw that you 'd forgot it, I
thought I 'd have a little joke on you for a while; and then, when I saw
how things was going, I kind o' drifted into keeping it. You know how I
come home,--all my voyage eat up, and a hundred