chling? Still acting deputy assistant city
surveyor _pro tem._?"

"Yes."

"Well, see here! Why haven't you been in the store to see us lately? Did
I seem a little preoccupied the last time you called?"

"I"--Richling dropped his eyes with an embarrassed smile--"_I was_
afraid I was in the way--or should be."

"Well and suppose you were? A man that's looking for work must put
himself in the way. But come with me. I think I may be able to give you
a lift."

"How's that?" asked Richling, as they started off abreast.

"There's a house around the corner here that will give you some
work,--temporary anyhow, and may be permanent."

So Richling was at work again, hidden away from Dr. Sevier between
journal and ledger. His employers asked for references. Richling looked
dismayed for a moment, then said, "I'll bring somebody to recommend me,"
went away, and came back with Mary.

"All the recommendation I've got," said he, with timid elation. There
was a laugh all round.

"Well, madam, if you say he's all right, we don't doubt he is!"

CHAPTER XIX.

ANOTHER PATIENT.

"Doctah Seveeah," said Narcisse, suddenly, as he finished sticking with
great fervor the postage-stamps on some letters the Doctor had written,
and having studied with much care the phraseology of what he had to say,
and screwed up his courage to the pitch of utterance, "I saw yo' notiz
on the noozpapeh this mornin'."

The unresponding Doctor closed his eyes in unutterable weariness of the
innocent young gentleman's prepared speeches.

"Yesseh. 'Tis a beaucheouz notiz. I fine that w'itten with the gweatez
ac_cu_'acy of diction, in fact. I made a twanslation of that faw my
hant. Thaz a thing I am fon' of, twanslation. I dunno 'ow 'tis, Doctah,"
he continued, preparing to go out,--"I dunno 'ow 'tis, but I thing, you
goin' to fine that Mistoo Itchlin ad the en'. I dunno 'ow 'tis. Well,
I'm goin' ad the"--

The Doctor looked up fiercely.

"Bank," said Narcisse, getting near the door.

"All right!" grumbled the Doctor, more politely.

"Yesseh--befo' I go ad the poss-office."

A great many other persons had seen the advertisement. There were many
among them who wondered if Mr. John Richling could be such a fool as to
fall into that trap. There were others--some of them women, alas!--who
wondered how it was that nobody advertised for information concerning
them, and who wished, yes, "wished to God," that such a one, or such a
one, who had ha