the young man mildly, "you'll find a taxidermist on the top floor."

The caller turned purple. "If you are Mr. Jones, of the Cosmic
Club--"

"I am."

"--there are certain things which Mr. Bertram must explain."

"Yes; Bertram said that you were coming, but I'd almost given you
up. Come in."

"Into a--a den where free advice is offered? Of all the patent and
infernal rascalities, sir, the offer of free advice--"

"There, there," soothed the younger man. "I know all about the free
swindles. This isn't one of them. It's just a fad of mine."

He led the perturbed scholar inside and got him settled in a chair.
"Now, go ahead. Show me the advertisement and tell me how much you
lost."

"I've lost my assistant. There is no advertisement about it. What
I came for is advice. But upon seeing your tricky door-plate--"

"Oh, that's merely to encourage the timorous. Who is this
assistant?"

"Harvey Craig, a youth, hardly more than a boy, for whom I feel a
certain responsibility, as his deceased parents left him in my