sat down beside him. "Mr. Hamilton says 'Make it two, Jack,'" he said
with easy familiarity. "Well, what 's the matter, old man? You 're
looking glum."

"I feel glum."

"The divine Hattie has n't been cutting any capers, has she? The dear
old girl has n't been getting hysterical at her age? Let us hope not."

Joe glared at him. Why in the devil should this fellow be so sadly gay
when he was weighted down with sorrow and shame and disgust?

"Come, come now, Hamilton, if you 're sore because I invited myself to
take a drink with you, I 'll withdraw the order. I know the heroic thing
to say is that I 'll pay for the drinks myself, but I can't screw my
courage up to the point of doing so unnatural a thing."

Young Hamilton hastened to protest. "Oh, I know you fellows now well
enough to know how many drinks to pay for. It ain't that."

"Well, then, out with it. What is it? Have n't been up to anything, have
you?"

The desire came to Joe to tell this man the whole truth, just what was
the matter, and so to relieve his heart. On the impulse he did. If he
had expected much from Sadness he was disappointed, for not a muscle of
the man's face changed during the entire recital.

When it was over, he looked at his companion critically through a wreath
of smoke. Then he said: "For a fellow who has had for a full year the