hat were needed for his detective career. The three thousand dollars
he took to Mr. Medderbrook and paid it to him, leaving only eight
thousand nine hundred dollars unpaid.

Mr. Medderbrook was greatly pleased with this and told Mr. Gubb so.

"This is a bully payment on account," he said, "and if you keep on
this way you'll soon be all paid up, but you don't want to let that
worry you, for I'm having a brand-new lot of stock in a brand-new mine
printed, and I'll sell you a whole lot of it as soon as we are
square. I'm going to call it the Little Syrilla Gold-Mine--"

"I don't think I'll buy any more gold-mine stock after the present lot
is paid up completely full," said Mr. Gubb.

"That's all right," said Mr. Medderbrook. "I haven't given the printer
final orders yet and if you prefer something else I'll make it
Oil-Well stock. It is all the same to me. The property will produce
just as much oil as it will gold. Every bit!"

"Have you heard from Miss Syrilla recently of late?" asked Mr. Gubb.

"Yes, I have," said Mr. Medderbrook. "I have heard two dollars and a
half's worth."

The telegram, which Mr. Medderbrook permitted Mr. Gubb to read after
he had paid the cash in hand, said:--

Heaven smiles on us. Have given up all vegetable diet. Have
given up potatoes, beets, artichokes, fried parsnips, Swiss
chard, turnips, squash, kohl-rabi, boiled radishes, sugar
beets, corn on the cob, cow pumpkin, mushrooms, string
beans, asparagus, spinach, and canned and fresh tomatoes.
Have lost ten pounds more. Weight now only nine hundred and
fifteen pounds. Dorgan worried. I dream of Gubby and love.

Mr. Gubb sighed happily. "I suppose," he said blissfully, "that by the
present moment of time Miss Syrilla has only got left a remainder of
six double chins out of seven, dear little one!" And he went back to
his office feeling that it would not be long now before the apple of
his eye was released from her side-show contract.

The next day Mr. Gubb had begun his labors on a new and interesting
case when the door opened.

"Gubb, come across the hall here!"

Gubb looked up from the labor in which he was engaged and blinked at
Lawyer Higgins.

"At the present time I am momently engaged upon a case," said Mr.
Gubb. "As soon as I am disengaged away from what I am at, I expect to
be engaged at the next thing I have to do. I shouldn't wish to assume
to be rude, Mr. Higgins, but when a deteckativ