t were, of a small portion of
time."

Ralph was glancing uneasily about the room. "Gran'pa Simon ain't
anywheres around is he?" he asked, letting his eyes rest, with careful
scrutiny, on a drunken man asleep in a chair in a dark corner.

"No, my boy," answered Joe, "he isn't. I haven't seen the dear old
saint, for, lo, these many moons. Ah!--let me see! did you not leave
the patriarch's sweet home circle, somewhat prematurely, eh?

"Gave the good old man the slip
Ere the cup could touch the lip?"

"Yes," said Ralph, "I did. I run away. He didn't use me right."

"No, he didn't, that's so. Come, be seated--tell me about it. Oh!
you needn't fear. I'll not give it away. Your affectionate grandpa
and I are not on speaking terms. The unpleasant bitterness of our
estrangement is sapping the juices of my young life and dragging the
roses from my cheeks.

"How sad when lack of faith doth part
The tender from the toughened heart!"

Rhyming Joe had drawn two chairs near to the stove, and had playfully
forced Ralph into one of them, while he, himself, took the other.

The bar-tender came out from behind his bar and approached the couple.

"Oh, by the way," he asked, "did ye have a ticket for your passage up,
or was ye goin' to pay your fare?"

"Oh, no!" said Ralph, "I ain't got any ticket. Mr. Sharpman paid my
fare down, but I was goin' to pay it back, myself."

The man stood, for a few minutes, listening to the reminiscences of
their Philadelphia life which Ralph and Joe were recalling, then he
interrupted again:--

"How'd ye like to have some dinner, me boy? Ain't ye gittin' a little
hungry? it's after noon now."

"Well, I am a bit hungry," responded Ralph, "that's a fact. Do you get
dinners here for people?"

"Oh, certainly! jest as good a dinner as ye'll git anywhere. Don't
charge ye for nothing more'n ye actially eat, neither. Have some?"

"Well, yes," said the boy, "I guess so; I won't have no better chance
to get any, 'fore I get home."

"I think," said Rhyming Joe, as the man shuffled away, "that my young
friend would like a dish of soup, then a bit of tenderloin, and a
little chicken-salad, and some quail on toast, with the vegetables
and accessories. For dessert we will have some ices, a few chocolate
eclairs and lady-fingers, and a cup of black coffee. You had better
bring the iced champagne with the dinner, and don't forget the
finger-bowls."

Before the last words were out of the speaker'