ins stepped down from his desk, gave
orders to have the store closed, and told Guly he would be ready in one
moment. The clerks, most of them, dropped the curtain of linen over the
goods, and went out, not sleeping in the store and having no pass key.
While Jeff was putting up the shutters, Guly went to Arthur and told him
he was going out to see one of Wilkins' friends a little while, but
would be back soon, and begged him to go to bed and try to sleep that
haggard look from his face.

"Yes," Arthur said, he had no doubt but he needed rest and would try to
gain it; and shaking hands they parted. Wilkins seemed waiting for the
two or three clerks who yet remained, to go away before he left, but as
he stood drawing on his gloves, Quirk came up and whispered something in
his ear which Guly did not hear, but to which Wilkins answered aloud,
saying: "I can't leave the key with you, but I'll lock you in."

"And how long will you be gone?"

"Only an hour or two."

"All right, then."

Wilkins and Guly went out and locked the door, leaving the young men in
there. They walked on, through the busy streets thronged with pleasure
seekers, some on foot, some riding, all gaily dressed and full
apparently of bright anticipations and buoyant life. Sometimes a lamp
gleam would fall through the plate-glass windows of some princely
structure, where light forms of beauty, attired in fashion's garb, were
flitting through the mazy dance or listening to music's enrapturing
strain. As Guly walked on, noting the panorama of life which passed by
him, he fell into a fit of musing from which he was unable to rouse
himself, until they turned into another street, and Wilkins remarked
quietly that it was the one in which Blanche lived. Then his whole
attention was awakened, and there was no more musing, no more lack of
conversation till they paused to rap at the door of the little house
where Blanche lived. She opened it herself, and held out a hand to each
of the new comers.

"I am so happy to see you," said she earnestly, as she permitted them to
enter. "Guly, this is grandpapa, you will soon be acquainted with him,
for we have been talking about you all day, and I have been describing
you to him, so that he might know how you looked, and could know just
how you would always act when I was giving you my work for sale, and all
that."

The old gentleman was very venerable in appearance, and sat in a large
stuffed chair with his grey locks fl