p of smoke drifting over his shoulder. It was Rackliff,
dressed with his usual care, but looking, if possible, a little paler
and more languid than ever.

"I thought it was about time for you to show up," said Roy a trifle
fretfully. "You said you'd be around by nine; it's twenty minutes
after by the clock in the Methodist steeple."

"It is said," returned Herbert, "that the early bird catches the worm;
and, as we're all worms of the earth, I don't believe in taking any
chances with the bird. Didn't sleep very well last night. Fancy that
jaunt to Barville was too much for me; though, to tell the truth, I'm a
rotten poor sleeper anyhow. I wake up at the slightest noise in the
night, and, having some nerves of my own, usually get a case of heart
palpitation, which is deucedly unpleasant. Then perhaps I won't go to
sleep again for two hours or more. I envy any fellow who snoozes like
a log." He concluded with a short, hollow laugh.

"The trouble with you is," said Roy, "that you smoke too much."

"Tell it to Johnson," scoffed Herbert. "I've always been that way;
smoking doesn't have anything to do with it. Besides, if it did I
couldn't leave off. I've got the habit for fair."

"I wouldn't like to say that; I'd hate to own up to it."

"Oh, it's nothing. Cigarettes never killed any one yet, old women and
moralizers to the contrary, notwithstanding. Well, chum, how are you
fixed? Did you make a raise so that you can bet a little cold cash on
the great contest to-day? You said you thought you'd have some money
this----"

"'Sh!" hissed Roy, glancing around apprehensively toward the house.
"Don't talk about that here."

"Eh? Why not?"

"I don't want my folks to find out anything about it," whispered
Hooker. "Come on, let's walk up the street."

At the corner above they turned into High Street, coming finally to the
white Methodist church.

"Let's stroll around behind the church, where no one will see us,"
proposed Hooker.

"Like a pair of plotters on foul intentions bent," laughed Herbert.
"To watch you manoeuvre, one might get the fancy that you were involved
in some desperate and terrible piece of work."

"Now, look here, Herb," said Roy, facing his companion behind the
church, "you're situated differently from me, and you can't seem to
understand my position. You don't belong in Oakdale, and you don't
care a rap what the fellows around here think of you or say about you."

"Not a rap," nodd