le. Frank called twice, and
the second time urged him to join the club, to which Page assented.

"It will serve as a place to spend a lonesome evening," he thought. It
was a wise step, for it is during lonesome hours, if ever, that one's
steps are turned toward evil associations.

Several times Frye had made casual inquiries as to the progress of his
intimacy with young Nason, all of which led Page to wonder what his
object was and why it concerned him. At last, one day just at closing
time, and after he had told the office boy he might go, Frye let a
little light into that enigma.

"Sit down a moment, Mr. Page," he remarked, as the latter was preparing
to leave; "I have a proposition of an important nature to make to you,"
and then as he fixed his merciless eyes on his clerk and began to slowly
rub his hands together, he continued: "You have been nearly three months
in my employ, Mr. Page, and have fulfilled your duties satisfactorily. I
think the time has come when I may safely enlarge them a little. As I
told you, John Nason pays me a yearly retainer to attend to all his law
business. I have reason to feel he is not entirely satisfied to continue
that arrangement, and I am forced to find some way to bring a little
pressure to bear on him in order that he may see it is for his interest
to still retain me. Now I believe John Nason is not entirely happy in
his home relations and is leading a double life, and that a certain Miss
Maud Vernon, a cashier in his store, receives a share of his attentions.
She and a supposed aunt of hers occupy a flat in a block owned by Nason,
and while they are never seen in public together, gossip links their
names. What I want is for you to find out, through your acquaintance
with the Nasons, just what bond there is between the elder Nason and
this Miss Vernon, and report to me. I do not intend to use the knowledge
for any illegal purpose, but merely as a leverage to retain Nason's
business. I am aware that to prosecute your inquiries discreetly by
means of your intimacy with young Nason will require more money than I
am paying you, and therefore, if I can depend on you to do a little
detective work, I shall from now on increase your salary from
seventy-five to one hundred and seventy-five dollars. What do you say?"

The first impulse that Page felt was to absolutely refuse, there and
then, to have anything to do with Frye's nefarious scheme, but the
thought of his situation, the unpaid