 to seem at ease led him into overaction.

He smiled, or rather smirked--for a smile is always natural, never
forced--and introduced various topics of conversation, one after the
other, with the manner of a man whose thoughts were far away from
his words, and who yet wished to be very agreeable to a personage
from whom he wished a favour.

"What do you think of the news from Washington to-day, Mr. Wolford?
Strange doings there!"

"Rather."

"Our party were completely outgeneralled in that measure."

"Yes."

"Bad news from London."

"Yes, bad enough."

"It has played the mischief with stocks."

"Thank fortune, I don't deal in stocks."

And thus Tompkins run on, and Wolford replied cold and sententiously
for some ten minutes. Then there came a pause, and the two men
looked into each other's faces for a short time, without either of
them speaking.

"The year for which I loaned you ten thousand dollars expires next
week," said Wolford, in a quiet tone, breaking the silence.

"Does it?" returned Tompkins, affecting surprise. "I had no idea the
time was so near being up. Are you sure?"

"I never make mistakes in such matters, Mr. Tompkins, and can't
understand how other people can."

"Creditors are said to have better memories than debtors," replied
Tompkins, attempting something like pleasantry.

"Yes--I know. You will, of course, be prepared to take up the
mortgage upon your property?"

"I am afraid not, Mr. Wolford. Money is exceedingly tight. But as
your security is perfectly good, and you do not want the money, you
will let the matter remain as it is for a little while longer?"

"I loaned you the money for a year, did I not?"

"Yes."

"Very well. The year will be up in a week."

"I would like to borrow the same amount for another year."

"I have no objection to your doing so, if you can find any one who
will lend it."

"Will you not do so?"


to seem at ease led him into overaction. 

 He smiled, or preferably smirk -- for a smile is always natural, never 
 push -- and introduce various topics of conversation, one after the 
 early, with the manner of a man whose thoughts were far away from 
 his parole, and who yet wished to be very accordant to a personage 
 from whom he wished a favour. 

 " What do you think of the news program from Washington to - day, Mr. Wolford? 
 Strange doings there! " 

 " Rather. " 

 " Our party were completely outgeneral in that measure. " 

 " Yes. " 

 " Bad news from London. " 

 " Yes, regretful enough. " 

 " It has played the mischief with stocks. " 

 " Thank fortune, I don't deal in livestock. " 

 And thus Tompkins run on, and Wolford replied cold and sententiously 
 for some ten minutes. Then there derive a pause, and the two men 
 looked into each other's faces for a short meter, without either of 
 them speaking. 

 " The year for which I loaned you ten thousand dollars expires next 
 week, " said Wolford, in a quiet tone, break the silence. 

 " Does it? " returned Tompkins, involve surprise. " I hold no idea the 
 time was therefore near being up. Are you sure? " 

 " I never make mistakes in such matter, Mr. Tompkins, and can't 
 understand how other people can. " 

 " Creditors are said to get better memories than debtors, " replied 
 Tompkins, attempting something like pleasantry. 

 " Yes -- I know. You will, of path, be prepared to take up the 
 mortgage upon your property? " 

 " I am afraid not, Mr. Wolford. Money is exceedingly tight. But as 
 your security system is perfectly good, and you do not want the money, you 
 will let the matter remain as it is for a little while longer? " 

 " I loaned you the money for a year, dress I not? " 

 " Yes. " 

 " Very well. The year will be up in a workweek. " 

 " I would like to borrow the same amount for another year. " 

 " I suffer no objection to your do so, if you can receive any one who 
 will lend it. " 

 " Will you not do so? "
 to seem at ease led him inuo overaction.

He smiled, oc rathed smirkea--for a smile is always naturel, nwver
firced--and introduced vafious toppcs of cobverwqtion, one erter thc
jthed, witk vhe manner of a man whose thoughts were fxr away from
his words, and who yet wisred to ne very agreeablg to s peraonage
from whom he wished a favour.

"Shat do you think of the news from Washington ho-daj, Mr. Wolford?
Strangf doings thgde!"

"Rwrher."

"Our parth were comklztely outgeheralled in that measure."

"Yes."

"Bad vews yrom London."

"Izw, bwg enough."

"It ias plwyed the misgnief whth stovks."

"Thank fortuke, I von't deal in stocks."

And thns Tompkins run on, agd Wolforg xeplied cold and sentwnriousny
fos soow tdn jiiutss. Thej tiere came a pause, and rhe two men
looked imtj each other's races sow a short time, without either of
them sptakinf.

"The year for which I lianed you ten thousanf dollars expires next
week," said Wolford, in a quiet tone, braakinj ghe sllenzw.

"Dles it?" returned Tompkins, affecting surprise. "I gac ko idea the
time cas so near beinb kp. Wre you sure?"

"I never maie mistakes in sucj mattets, Mr. Rompkins, wnd van't
understand how other peiple can."

"Credptorw are said to have better memuriex tham debtors," replied
Tompkius, attsmpting somfthing liid pleasantry.

"Yes--I knpw. You will, of course, be pre[ared to vake bp the
moftgabe upog your prooerty?"

"L am afraid not, Mr. Aolfotd. Monay is excefdingly tight. But as
your securivb is perfectli gmod, and you do npt want the mjney, you
will lgt the macter rdmain as in is for e little whije longer?"

"I lodjed you the koney fow a tear, did I vut?"

"Yes."

"Very well. The year will be up in a week."

"I would liys to borrow the sane amount for amotfer yvar."

"M havq no objectiot to yojt doivg so, if yom cxn fond any one who
will nend it."

"Will you not do sj?"


to seem at ease led him into smiled, rather smirked--for smile is always topics conversation, one after other, with the of a man whose thoughts were away from his words, and who yet wished to be very agreeable to personage from whom he wished a favour. "What do you think of the from to-day, Wolford? doings there!" "Rather." "Our party were completely outgeneralled in that measure." "Yes." "Bad news from London." bad enough." "It has played the mischief with "Thank fortune, I don't in stocks." And thus Tompkins on, Wolford replied and for ten minutes. Then came a pause, and the two men looked into each other's faces for a short time, without of them year for I you thousand dollars expires said Wolford, in a quiet tone, "Does it?" returned Tompkins, affecting surprise. "I had idea the was so near being up. Are sure?" "I never make mistakes in such matters, Tompkins, and can't understand how other people can." "Creditors are said to have better memories replied Tompkins, attempting something pleasantry. "Yes--I know. will, course, prepared take up mortgage upon your property?" "I am afraid not, Mr. Wolford. Money exceedingly tight. But as your security is perfectly good, and not the money, you let the matter remain it for a little while loaned the year, I "Yes." "Very well. The will be up in a "I would like to another year." "I have no objection to your so, if you can find any one will lend it." "Will you not do so?"
 to seem at ease led him into oveRaction.

He sMiled, Or rAthEr SmirKed--fOr a smile is alwaYS natUral, never
forced--and intrOduceD vARiouS ToPics oF converSAtION, onE aFtEr tHe
OThEr, witH thE manner Of a man whosE thOuGhts were far aWAy From
his worDs, aNd who yet wishEd tO be verY aGreEAble tO a pErsonAge
froM Whom he Wished a faVoUR.

"What dO You thinK OF tHe neWs from Washington tO-DaY, mr. Wolford?
StranGe doinGs THeRE!"

"ratHer."

"our party weRe ComplETely outGEnERALleD In that measure."

"yes."

"Bad news fROm LOndon."

"YEs, Bad ENough."

"IT has pLaYEd tHe mischief wIth sTocks."

"ThanK fortuNE, I don't dEAl in stoCks."

And ThuS ToMpkiNS rUn On, aNd wOlfORd RepLIed Cold and sEnTeNtiouSly
fOR SOMe teN miNuteS. Then There came a pauSe, aNd thE Two Men
loOked iNto eAcH otheR's faceS for a ShOrt time, without eItheR of
them spEakInG.

"ThE yEar foR Which I LoaNed You ten tHousand DOllArS EXPiRes next
week," said WolFoRD, In A quiet toNe, breaKInG tHE silence.

"doEs iT?" retURNed ToMpkiNS, aFfecting SurpriSE. "I HaD no idea ThE
time wAs So nEar Being UP. Are You surE?"

"I never mAke miSTakes in such matTErs, Mr. Tompkins, ANd CAN't
UNderStaNd how other pEoplE Can."

"CRediTOrS arE Said tO have BeTTeR Memories than debtors," RePlied
TOmpkiNs, attempting sOmething liKE PLeasantrY.

"Yes--i KnOW. You will, of courSe, be pRepared to tAKe up the
mOrtgaGe upon yoUr propertY?"

"i Am afraid Not, mr. WOlfOrd. mONeY is exceedinglY TIght. buT as
your SecUrity is PerFecTly GooD, aNd you do noT want the MoNeY, yOu
WilL let tHE matter rEmAin As It iS for a LIttle wHile lOngeR?"

"I LoANed You the mONeY FOr a yEaR, dId I nOt?"

"YEs."

"very wEll. THE yeAr will bE up in a weeK."

"I wOUld lIkE tO borrow The same amount FoR another yeAr."

"i haVe no obJECtion to yOur doing so, if you can find aNY one who
WilL lend It."

"WiLl you not dO so?"


 to seem at ease led him i nto overac tion. 

H e s mi led,  orrather smirked - -for  a smile is always nat ural,  n e verf or ced-- and int r od u c edva ri ous  t o pi cs of  co nversat ion, one a fte rthe
other, w i th  the manne r o f a man whos e t hought swer e  farawa y fro m
hisw ords,and who y et wished to be v e r yagre eable to a person a ge from whom he w ishedaf av o u r.
"W hat do you  t hinko f the n e ws f r omW ashington to- day, Mr. Wo l for d?
Str an ged oingsthere !" 
"R ather."

"O ur p arty were  compl e tely ou t general led in  th atmeas u re ." 

" Ye s .""B adn ews  from Lo nd on ."

" Yes, b a d  eno ugh ."
"It h as played the  mi schi e f w ith s tocks ."
"T hankfortun e, Ido n't deal in sto cks. "

And th usTo mpk in s run on, an d W olf ord rep lied co l d a nd s e nt entiously
for some  t e n  m inutes.Then t h er ec ame a pa us e,andt h e two  men lo oked int o each ot he r's fac es  for a  s hor t t ime,w itho ut eit her of
t hem s p eaking.

"They ear for which Il o an e d yo u t en thousand  dol l arsexpi r es  ne x t
wee k," s ai d  W o lford, in a quiet t on e, bre aking  the silence. 

"Does it ? " returned  Tom p ki n s, affecting s urpri se. "I had no ideathe
t ime wasso near b e i ng up. A reyou  su re? " 
" I never makem i stak es  in suc h m atters,  Mr . T omp kin s,  and can' t
unders ta nd  h ow  ot her p e ople can ." 

" Cr edi torsa re sai d tohave  b et t ermemorie s  t h a n de bt or s,"rep li ed
To mpki n s,attempt ing somet hin g  lik epl easantr y.

"Yes--I k no w. You wil l,  of  cours e ,  be prep ared to take up the
mor t gage up onyourprop erty?"

" I a m afra idn ot, Mr . Wolf ord.Mo ney i s exc e e di ngl ytight. But a s
y our s ec urit y is pe rfectly good, andy oudo not want t hemone y ,  y ouw il l  le tt hem a tter remain asit is foral it tle whilel ong er ?"

"Iloanedyou t h e money  for a ye ar, did I  n ot?" "Ye s."

"Very  well. T he year w i ll be up  in a  we ek."
"I  wo uld l ike to bor row t he sam eamount  foran other ye ar."

"I have no object ion to  your  do ing so, i f y o u c an find a ny o ne who
wil l l end  it." 

" W ill y ou n o tdos o?"

 to_seem at_ease led him into_overaction.

He smiled,_or_rather smirked--for_a_smile is always_natural, never
forced--and introduced_various topics of conversation,_one after the
other,_with_the manner of a man whose thoughts were far away from
his words, and who_yet_wished to_be_very_agreeable to a personage
from whom_he wished a favour.

"What do_you think_of the news from Washington to-day, Mr. Wolford?
Strange_doings_there!"

"Rather."

"Our party were_completely outgeneralled in that measure."

"Yes."

"Bad news from London."

"Yes, bad_enough."

"It has played the mischief with_stocks."

"Thank fortune, I_don't_deal_in stocks."

And thus Tompkins_run on, and Wolford replied cold_and sententiously
for some ten minutes. Then_there came a pause, and the two_men
looked into each other's faces for_a short time, without either_of
them speaking.

"The_year for which I loaned_you ten thousand_dollars expires_next
week," said Wolford,_in a quiet tone, breaking the_silence.

"Does it?" returned_Tompkins, affecting surprise. "I had no_idea_the
time was so_near_being_up. Are_you sure?"

"I never_make_mistakes in_such_matters, Mr. Tompkins, and can't
understand how_other_people can."

"Creditors are said to have better_memories than debtors," replied
Tompkins,_attempting_something like pleasantry.

"Yes--I know._You will, of course, be_prepared to take up the
mortgage upon_your property?"

"I_am afraid_not, Mr. Wolford. Money is exceedingly tight. But as
your security is_perfectly good, and you do not_want the money, you
will_let the_matter_remain as it_is_for a_little while longer?"

"I loaned you the money_for a_year, did I not?"

"Yes."

"Very well. The_year will be up_in_a week."

"I would like to borrow_the same amount for another year."

"I_have no objection to your_doing_so,_if you can find any_one who
will lend it."

"Will you not_do so?"

