out of breath from the earthquake the feller had landed
him, but excited as could be.

"'Yes, yes!' says he. 'It's Mr. Kelly we want. Do you know him?'

"'Do I know him? Why, me bucko, 'tis me old college chum he is. Come on
with me and we'll give him the glad hand.'

"He grabs Jonadab by the arm and starts along the sidewalk, steerin' a
toler'ble crooked course, but gainin' steady by jerks.

"'I was on me way to Kelly's place now,' says he. 'And here it is. Sure
didn't I bate the bookies blind on Rosebud but yesterday--or was it the
day before? I don't know, but come on, me lads, and we'll do him again.'

"He turned in at a little narrer entry-like, and went stumblin' up a
flight of dirty stairs. I caught hold of Jonadab's coat tails and pulled
him back.

"'Where you goin', you crazy loon?' I whispered. 'Can't you see he's
three sheets in the wind? And you haven't told him what Kelly you want,
nor nothin'.'

"But I might as well have hollered at a stone wall. 'I don't care if
he's as fur gone in liquor as Belshazzer's goat,' sputters the Cap'n,
all worked up. 'He's takin' us to a Kelly, ain't he? And is it likely
there'd be another one within three doors of the number I dreamed
about? Didn't I tell you that dream was a vision sent? Don't lay to NOW,
Barzilla, for the land sakes! It's Providence a-workin'.'

"'Cording to my notion the sunflower looked more like an agent from
t'other end of the line than one from Providence, but just then he
commenced to yell for us and upstairs we went, Jonadab first.

"'Whisht!' says the checkerboard, holdin' on to Jonadab's collar and
swingin' back and forth. 'Before we proceed to blow in on me friend
Kelly, let us come to an understandin' concernin' and touchin'
on--and--and--I don't know. But b'ys,' says he, solemn and confidential,
'are you on the square? Are yez dead game sports, hey?'

"'Yes, yes!' says Jonadab. 'Course we be. Mr. Kelly and us are old
friends. We've come I don't know how fur on purpose to see him. Now
where's--'

"'Say no more,' hollers the feller. 'Say no more. Come on with yez.' And
he marches down the dark hall to a door with a 'To let' sign on it and
fetches it a bang with his fist. It opens a little ways and a face shows
in the crack.

"'Hello, Frank!' hails the sunflower, cheerful. 'Will you take that ugly
mug of yours out of the gate and lave me friends in?'

"'What's the matter wid you, Mike?' asks the chap at the door. 'Yer
can't bring th