information is worth?" I said.

He looked at me as if fixing a price in his mind that I would stand, and
replied:

"Certain, a thousand dollars."

"That is a good deal of money, Le Compte," I said pleasantly. "I
hardly think you can divulge a thousand dollars' worth. But if you can
give me reliable information of a satisfactory character, I think I
could pay you three hundred dollars.

"Now?" he inquired, suddenly.

"Oh, no, oh, no," I replied as quickly; "no, sir, _not_ until we find
the information you give is reliable."

This dampened the little fellow wonderfully, but he finally said: "Well,
the evidence is certain, but I must offer it to you by clairvoyance,"
and he immediately arose and began darkening the room as on the previous
interview, which act I interrupted by stepping to the window he had just
darkened, and jerking the curtain as high as it would roll, opening the
window, and flinging the blinds open with a slam.

"You little villain!" I shouted, advancing upon him threateningly, "I
will wring your neck if you don't stop this contemptible nonsense!"
while he slunk into the corner, like the mean coward that he was. I
could scarcely keep my hands off the little puppy; but recollecting that
I was there for quite another purpose, I said:

"Le Compte, this is the last time I shall come here, and it is the last
time you will have an opportunity of making a dollar out of any
information you may possess. Now, sir," I said, savagely, starting
towards the door, "you will give it to me, trusting entirely to my honor
to pay you for it, or you will never get a cent for it on earth."

[Illustration: _"You little villain!" I shouted, advancing upon him
threateningly:--_]

The little fellow turned towards me imploringly, with "Please don't go.
My dear sir, you are so greatly abrupt. We have no men like you in La
Belle France."

"Heaven knows, I hope but few _like_ you," I responded. "Now, which is
it, yes, or no? I will give you just thirty seconds in which to answer,"
and I timed him, thoroughly resolved to do as I had said.

Before the expiration of the time mentioned, Le Compte sat down, and
with a despairing shrug of the shoulders, said "Yes."

I immediately returned, sat down in front of him, and said, "Well, Le
Compte, now go ahead with your story like a man."

"What must it be like?" he asked innocently.

"What must it be like?" I repeated, aghast. "Why, you don't intend to
manufacture a story fo