raves' client.

It could not be, it _could_ not. There must be some mistake. In country
towns there were likely to be several of the same name. There must be
another Elisha Warren. Comforted by this thought, Mr. Graves opened his
valise, extracted therefrom other and drier articles of wearing apparel,
and proceeded to change his clothes.

Meanwhile, Miss Abigail had descended the stairs to the sitting room.
Before a driftwood fire in a big brick fireplace sat Captain Warren in
his shirt-sleeves, a pair of mammoth carpet slippers on his feet, and
the said feet stretched luxuriously out toward the blaze.

"Abbie," observed the captain, "this is solid comfort. Every time I go
away from home I get into trouble, don't I? Last trip I took to Boston,
I lost thirty dollars, and--"

"Lost it!" interrupted Miss Baker, tartly. "Gave it away, you mean."

"I didn't _give_ it away. I lent it. Abbie, you ought to know the
difference between a gift and a loan."

"I do--when there is any difference. But if lendin' Tim Foster ain't
givin' it away, then I miss my guess."

"Well," with another chuckle, "Tim don't feel that way. He swore right
up and down that he wouldn't take a cent--as a gift. I offered to make
him a present of ten dollars, but he looked so shocked that I apologized
afore he could say no."

"Yes, and then _lent_ him that thirty. Shocked! The only thing that
would shock that good-for-nothin' is bein' set to work. What possessed
you to be such a soft-head, _I_ don't know. When you get back a copper
of that money I'll believe the millennium's struck, that's all."

"Hum! Well, I'll help you believe it--that is, if I have time afore I
drop dead of heart disease. Abbie, you'd make a good lawyer; you can get
up an argument out of a perfect agreement. I said the thirty dollars
was lost, to begin with. But I knew Tim Foster's mother when she used
to think that boy of hers was the eighth wonder of the world. And I
promised her I'd do what I could for him long's I lived.... But it seems
to me we've drifted some off the course, ain't we? What I started to say
was that every time I go away from home I get into trouble. Up to Boston
'twas Tim and his 'loan.' To-night it's about as healthy a sou'wester
as I've ever been out in. Dan fetched in the team, has he?"

"Yes. It's in the stable. He says the buggy dash is pretty well
scratched up, and that it's a wonder you and that Graves man wa'n't
killed. Who is he, anyhow?"

"La