ped his brow.

"Cobbler" Horn waited calmly for his perturbed visitor to become composed;
and Tommy sat for some minutes, staring helplessly at "Cobbler" Horn, and
still rubbing his forehead. What had become of the astute plan of
operations which the little man had laid down?

"You have surely something on your mind, friend?" said "Cobbler" Horn, in
an enquiring tone.

"Yes, I have," said Tommy, somewhat relieved; "it's been there for some
time."

"Well, what is it? Can I help you in any way?"

"Oh, no; I don't want help."

His utterly incapacitated demeanour belied him; but he was speaking of
financial help.

"I've been thinking of the past, Mr. Horn," he managed to say, making a
faint effort to direct the conversation according to his original design.

"Ah!" sighed "Cobbler" Horn. "Of the past!" With the word, his thoughts
darted back to that period of his own past towards which they so often
sadly turned.

"I somehow can't help it," continued Tommy, gathering courage. "There
seems to be something that keeps bringing it up."

"Cobbler" Horn fixed his keen eyes on the agitated face of his visitor. He
knew what it was in the past to which Tommy referred, and appreciated his
delicacy of expression.

"Yes, Tommy," he said, "and I, too, often think of the past. But is there
anything special that brings it to your mind just now?"

Upon this, all Tommy Dudgeon's clever plans vanished into air. His scheme
for leading the conversation up to the desired point utterly broke down.
He cast himself on the mercy of his friend.

"Oh," he cried, in thrilling tones, "can't you see it? Can't you feel
it--every day? The sec'tary! The sec'tary! If it is so plain to me, how
can you be so blind?"

Then he darted from the room, and betook himself home with all speed.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.

"Cobbler" Horn's first thought was that the strain of eccentricity in his
humble little friend had developed into actual insanity. But, on further
consideration, he was disposed to take another view. He felt bound to
admit that, though there had been a strangeness in the behaviour of the
little man throughout his visit, it had not afforded any actual ground for
the suspicion of insanity, until he had so suddenly rushed away home. It
was, therefore, possible that there might prove to be some important
meaning in what he had said. At first "Cobbler" Horn had