king me squarely in the face.

"It is this: We are billed to play Monday night in Bungtown. The chances
are we will have a big house for the opening. We stay there three
nights. Now, then, my proposition is that you send your clerk along with
the company; I will place him in the box office, where he will have
control of the receipts, and each night after the show is over he can
take for you a percentage of the share coming to me, and continue to do
so at each performance until your bill is all paid. How does it strike
you?' Well, sir, it set that countryman a-thinking and pulling his
whiskers so vigorously that I feared his goatee would give way. I knew
almost to a dead certainty that I had won. The man, Fogg, who hesitates
gives way in the end, always.

"Breadland reflected a minute, then spoke out: 'I'll do it,' he said.
''Tis about the easiest and safest way of getting hunk.'

"'One thing more, Mr. Breadland,' I added, when I felt satisfied that
luck was running my way.

"'What is it?' he inquired.

"'The hotel bill, as you are aware, is made out to cover all charges up
to and including lunch to-day. After the train which leaves here at
three this afternoon there is none other until to-morrow forenoon, and
as the company has done a deal of traveling and the people are pretty
well tuckered out, a day's rest and a good night's sleep would not be
amiss, and it would enable us to give a rattling good performance
to-morrow night.'

"'I agree with you,' he replied.

"I thought so, but perhaps I didn't make myself as clear as I might.
Your good nature, however, emboldens me to respectfully suggest'--and
this I said in the most tender and convincing manner I could
employ--'that for the sake of art and good fellowship, for this little
extra hospitality you make no addition to the hotel bill. Let it stand
as it is.'"

"What!" exclaimed Fogg, in open-mouthed wonder. "Did he show you the
door?"

"Not a bit of it. I told you he was a plain, practical kind of cuss,
with a tender spot in his heart. He looked at me with a calm, queer, but
not mischievous twinkle in his eye. I stood the gaze with the most
innocent assumption of impudence, waiting for the verdict. It came in a
moment, accompanied with a hearty laugh as he said: 'By jingo, you
deserve to get ahead! You won't fail for want of nerve. It's your long
suit. I'll have to go you,' or words to that effect. 'Come,' he said,
rising from his chair, 'I'll blow you off,