nough.

"Good-evening, Adrian. Has your mother come home?"

"No, father. I left--well, I left rather suddenly. In any case, you
know, she was to stop for the night with Kate. But I came, right after
dinner, because I want to have a talk with you. Are you equal to it,
to-night, sir?"

The banker flashed a suspicious glance upward, then relapsed into his
former pose. Memories of previous disagreeable "talks" with this, his
only son, arose, but Adrian anticipated his remark.

"Nothing wrong with me, this time, father, I hope. I am trying to
learn the business and to like it. I----"

"Have you any money, Adrian?"

"A little. What is left of my salary; more than I should have if
mother hadn't fitted my wardrobe out so well. A clerk even in your
bank doesn't earn a princely sum, you remember; not at first."

It was a well-known fact, upon the "street," that the employees of
"Wadislaw's" received almost niggardly payment. Wadislaw, himself had
the reputation of penuriousness, and that his family had lived in the
style they had was because Mrs. Wadislaw's personal income paid
expenses.

"Put it away. Put it away where nobody can find it. There are more
robbers than honest men in the country. Once I was robbed, myself. Of
an enormous sum. I have never recovered from that set-back. We should
not have gotten on at all but for your mother. Your mother is a very
good woman, Adrian."

"Why, yes, father. Of course. The very best in the world, I believe.
She has only one fault, she will make me go into society, and I
dislike it. Otherwise, she's simply perfect."

"Yes, yes. But she watches me too closely, boy. Don't let your wife be
a spy upon you, lad."

"No, I won't," laughed he. "But speaking of robberies, I wish you
would tell me about that great one which happened to you. It was when
I was too young to know anything about it. I have a particular reason
for asking. If you are able, that is."

"Why shouldn't I be able? It is never out of my mind, night nor day.
There was always a mystery in it. Yet I would have trusted him as I
trusted myself. More than I would dare trust anybody now, even you, my
son."

The man was thoroughly aroused, at last. Adrian began to question if
he had done right in saying what would move him so, knowing that all
excitement was apt to be followed by a "spell," during which he acted
like a man in a dream, though never sleeping.

But he resumed the conversation, voluntarily, and Adrian lis