Say, who do you want to see?" he demanded.

"Why, Mr. Cabot--Mr. Augustus Cabot."

"Mr. Cabot's away, I tell you. He's out of town."

A tall, thin man of middle age, who had just emerged from one of the
private offices, paused beside them. He looked at Galusha through his
eyeglasses, and then held out his hand.

"Why, Bangs!" he exclaimed. "It IS Bangs, isn't it? Glad to see you.
Don't you know me? I'm Minor. How are you?"

Galusha remembered him, of course. Minor had been a young assistant
bookkeeper in those far-off and dismal days when he, Galusha, had
worked--or attempted to work--in that very office. That was--mercy, that
was a great many years ago! Minor had changed very much.

They shook hands and Galusha was invited to come into Mr. Minor's
private office.

"Let me see," said the latter, "you are--you are--What is your business
now? I did hear, but I've forgotten."

Galusha told of his connection with the National Institute.

"I do--ah--archaeological work," he added. "Egyptology is my specialty."

Minor nodded. "Yes, yes," he said, doubtfully. "Just so."

Plainly he regarded it as a weird sort of business.

"And you are still a--ah--banker?" queried Galusha.

"Yes. Very much so. I'm second vice president here now."

"Dear me! dear me! You have been in this place ever since? Well, well!"

A pause, during which each regarded the other, trying not to show the
pity they felt. Then Minor asked if there was anything he could do for
his former associate. Galusha explained that he had come to town to
see his cousin, Mr. Augustus Cabot, on a business matter. Mr. Minor was
surprised, momentarily.

"That's so," he said, "he is a relative of yours, isn't he? I had
forgotten."

"Yes, yes, he is. He--ah--you see, he looks after things for
me--investments and--all that."

"Humph! Well, if you wanted to see him personally, you're out of luck.
He is away out in the Sierras, somewhere. Been there for a month and he
won't come back till the doctors tell him he may. Goodness knows when
that will be."

Cousin Gussie had, it appeared, suffered a severe nervous breakdown.
The physicians had ordered immediate dropping of business and business
cares.

"He must drop everything, they said, and cut, if he wanted to head off
something a good deal more serious. He must get out of doors and stay
there; go to bed early at night--instead of early in the morning, which
had been more in his line--and rough it generally."