ace to which his old, shabby gaiters had formerly inclined him. He rattled down the stairs of the elevated station with an alacrity almost bumptious;

e dropped his pen, walked with a decisive air the length of the room, and, opening a door at the other end, presente

eak with you

important?

ortant-to me. Possib

ll- combed gray side-whiskers were directed toward the young ma

y settled himself i

," he said. "I'm going to be

of a lunatic asylum," Mr. Blatchford

o me as the other thing d

ly deferential. "And just about when do yo

. The election, I believe

eanwhile, you will need leisure to attend to this little matter. Suppose I

you do. W

You would be thrown out of employment. You would have to live on your principal, as long as th

said Crombie, ris

to understand even now. I discharge you, Mr. Crombie, on t

d arrived he was not discomfited. Unbounded courage seemed to rise from the stout soles of the alien boots, percolating through his whole system. He was surprised at himself. He had intended to use more diplomacy with Mr. Blatchford, and it was no joke to him to lose his place. But instead of feeling despondent, or going at once in search of new employment, he cheerfully went about making calls on several gentlemen who, he thought, might b

n a couple of shares by great effort in saving. "Besides, not having any other engros

sing, comfortably. "We must see if we can get to

nd perhaps you will speak to some of

in again pretty

ompany, had conceived a strong dislike of him on account of his overbearing manners. Therefore it would not be hard to enlist sympathy for a movement obnoxious to him. But it was imperative that

r comfort and the service they had done him in making a good appearance that he resolved to get a new pair of his own. He stopped and bought them; then kept on toward The Lorne, carrying his purchase under his arm without embarrassment. The cold

sent for the boot-boy, and inquired

s in the house has gone out, you see, and they'll only be coming back just

are these that I

them with the eye of a connoisseur in every part.

most embarrassing to have such a complication occur; and yet, strange inconsistency! he had been longing for an

a shine. Then carry them up to Mr. Littimer's rooms."

have left that ancient, broken-down pair at Littimer's threshold! And yet it was possible. Crombie felt another flush of humility upon his cheeks. Then he wandered off into reverie upon the multifarious errands of all the pairs of boots and shoes that had gone forth from the great apartment house that day. Patter, patter, patter! tramp, tramp!-he imagined he heard them all walking, stamping, s

there he had the pleasure of dining at a table not far from Blanche Littimer.