d him.

"And how do you like married life?" asked Joe, of Felix Gussing.

"We are getting along very nicely," said the dude.

"Have you told your wife about the duel yet?"

"No,--and I don't think I shall," added Felix Gussing. "You see
she--er--she thinks me a very brave man and--"

"And you don't want her to change her opinion," finished Joe, with a
smile!

"Why should I, Joe."

"Oh, I don't know as there is any reason, excepting that they usually
say men and their wives should have no secrets from each other."

"Mr. Montgomery is gone, I see," said the dude, changing the subject.

"Yes, sir."

"Then you are the only one who knows of this secret. You won't tell,
will you?"

"No, sir."

"We are having troubles enough as it is," went on the dude. "Both my
wife and I find housekeeping rather troublesome. It is hard to obtain
proper servants, and she does not care to do the work herself."

"Why don't you go to boarding?"

"Perhaps we will, later on."

With the new year came a heavy fall of snow and soon sleighs big and
little were in demand. Then came a slight fall of rain which made the
sidewalks a glare of ice.

"Got to be careful," announced Frank to Joe. "If you don't you'll go
down on your back."

"I intend to be careful," answered our hero. "I have no wish to break
any bones."

That afternoon Joe was sent on an errand to a place of business half a
mile away. On returning he chanced to stop at a street corner, to watch
a number of children who had made a long slide for themselves.

As he stood watching, a man came along bundled up in a great coat and
wearing a slouch hat and blue glasses. The man was walking rapidly, as
if in a hurry.

"That fellow looks familiar to me," thought Joe. "Wonder who he can be?"

He watched the stranger cross the street. Then the fellow happened to
step on the icy slide and in a twinkling he went down on his back, his
hat flying in one direction and a bundle he carried in another.

"Hurrah! Down goes the gent!" sang out a newsboy standing near.

"Come here an' I'll pick yer up!" said another street urchin.

"You rascals, you fixed this on purpose so I should fall!" cried the
man, starting to get up.

"Can I help you?" questioned Joe, coming up, and then he gave a start,
as he recognized the fellow.

It was Pat Malone, alias David Ball, from Montana!

CHAPTER XXII.

ABOUT SOME MINING SHARES.

"How do you do, Mr. Ball?" said our hero, coolly.