roodles."

"No, I guess not," said Merton.

"We had some game last night, I'll tell the world! One hand we had
four jacks out against four aces, and right after that I held four
kings against an ace full. Say, one time there I was about two-
eighty to the good, but I didn't have enough sense to quit. Hear
about Gus Giddings? They got him over in the coop for breaking in on
a social out at the Oak Grove schoolhouse last night. Say, he had a
peach on when he left here, I'll tell the world! But he didn't get
far. Them Grove lads certainly made a believer out of him. You ought
to see that left eye of his!"

Merton listened loftily to this village talk, gossip of a rural
sport who got a peach on and started something--And the poker game
in the back room of the City Drug Store! What diversions were these
for one who had a future? Let these clods live out their dull lives
in their own way. But not Merton Gill, who held aloof from their low
sports, studied faithfully the lessons in his film-acting course,
and patiently bided his time.

He presently sauntered to the post office, where the mail was being
distributed. Here he found the sight-seers who had returned from the
treat of No. 4's flight, and many of the less enterprising citizens
who had merely come down for their mail. Gashwiler was among these,
smoking one of his choice cigars. He was not allowed to smoke in the
house. Merton, knowing this prohibition, strictly enforced by Mrs.
Gashwiler, threw his employer a glance of honest pity. Briefly he
permitted himself a vision of his own future home--a palatial