e locks, and goodness knows when she'll get here. She's--"

"Excuse me," interrupted Mr. Opp, politely but firmly, "I've got to see
Mrs. Gusty on very important business. Have you any idea whatsoever of
when she will return back home?"

"Yes," said Mr. Gallop, eager to oblige. "She's about home by this time.
Miss Lou Diker is making her a dress, and she telephoned she'd be by to
try it on 'bout four o'clock. I'll go up there with you, if you want me
to."

"Why don't you drive him!" suggested Jimmy. "You can borrow a pair of
mules acrost the street."

"Mr. Opp," said Mr. Gallop, feelingly, as they walked up Main Street, "I
wouldn't treat a' insect like he treats me."

"Oh, you mustn't mind Jimmy," said Mr. Opp, kindly; "he always sort of
enjoys a little joke as he goes along. Why, I wouldn't be at all
surprised if he even made a joke on me sometime. How long have you been
in Cove City?"

"Just a month," said Mr. Gallop. "It must look awful little to you,
after all the big cities you been used to."

Mr. Opp lengthened his stride. "Yes," he said largely; "quite small,
quite little, in fact. No place for a business man; but for a
professional man, a man that requires leisure to sort of cultivate his
brain and that means to be a influence in the community, it's a good
place, a remarkably good place."

A hint, however vague, dropped into the mind of Mr. Gallop, caused
instant fermentation. From long experience he had become an adept at
extracting information from all who crossed his path. A preliminary
interest, a breath or two of flattery by way of anesthetic, and his
victim's secret was out before he knew it.

"Reckon you are going up to talk insurance to Mrs. Gusty," he ventured
tentatively.

"No; oh, no," said Mr. Opp. "I formerly was in the insurance business,
some time back. Very little prospects in it for a man of my nature. I
have to have a chance to sorter spread out, you know--to use my own
particular ideas about working things out."

"What is your especial line?" asked Mr. Gallop, deferentially.

"Shoe--" Mr. Opp began involuntarily, then checked
himself--"journalism," he said, and the word seemed for the moment
completely to fill space.

At Mrs. Gusty's gate Mr. Gallop stopped.

"I guess I ought to go back now," he said regretfully; "the telephone
and telegraph office is right there in my room, and I never leave them
day or night except just this one hour in the afternoon. It's awful
trying. The