"Indeed!"

"Eben Graham."

"How did he look--prosperous?"

"Hardly--he was wheeling a barrow of vegetables."

"Did you speak with him?"

"Yes; he wanted to borrow money."

"I am not surprised at that; I thought it time for him to be out of
money. Did you lend him?"

"No; I found he wanted money to buy a lottery ticket. I told him I
wouldn't lend money to my best friend for that purpose."

"Very sensible in you, Herbert."

"If he had been in distress, I might have let him have a few dollars,
notwithstanding he treated me so meanly at Wayneboro, but he seems to be
earning a living."

"I presume he doesn't enjoy the business he is in?"

"No; he complains that he has lowered himself by accepting such a
place."

"It doesn't occur to him that he lowered himself when he stole money
from his father, I suppose."

"It doesn't seem to."

Later in the day Herbert came across Col. Warner in the corridor of the
hotel.

"Ha! my young friend!" he said, affably. "I am glad to meet you."

"Thank you, sir."

"And how is your friend?"

"No change since morning," answered Herbert, slightly smiling.

"By the way, Herbert--your name is Herbert, isn't it--may I offer you a
cigar?" said Col. Warner.

The colonel opened his cigar-case and extended it to Herbert.

"Thank you, sir, but I don't smoke."

"Don't smoke? That is, you don't smoke cigars. May I offer you a
cigarette?"

"I don't smoke at all, colonel."

"Indeed, remarkable! Why, sir, before I was your age I smoked."

"Do you think it good for consumption?" asked Herbert.

"Ha, ha, you have me there! Well, perhaps not. Do you know," said the
colonel, changing the conversation, "I feel a great interest in your
friend."

"You are very kind."

"'Upon my soul, I do. He is a most interesting young man. Rich, too! I
am glad he is rich!"

"He would value health more than money," said Herbert.

"To be sure, to be sure! By the way, you don't know how much property
your friend has?"

"No, sir, he never told me," answered Herbert, surprised at the
question.

"Keeps such matters close, eh? Now, I don't. I never hesitate to own up
to a quarter of a million. Yes, quarter of a million! That's the size of
my pile."

"You are fortunate, Col. Warner," said Herbert, sincerely.

"So I am, so I am! Two years hence I shall have half a million, if all
goes well. So you won't have a cigar; no? Well, I'll see you later."

"He's a strange man," thought Herbert. "