``This is my den,'' he said. ``There isn't but one chair; but I'll sit on the bed.
When did you reach town?''
``About noon.''
``Are you going to stop long?''
``I
shall stay here till I get through with my errand,'' answered Harry, shrewdly;for he saw what Luke thought.
Luke looked a little uneasy.
``By the way, Walton,'' he said, ``I believe I owe you a little money.''
``Yes;
I believe so.''
``Here are five dollars,'' he said; ``I'll pay you the rest as soon as I can -- in a week or two.''
Harry took the bank note with secret self-con gratulation, for he had given up the debt as bad.
``I am glad to get it,'' he said. ``I have a use for all my money. Are you working in this town?''
``Yes.
The shoe business is carried on here considerably. Are you still working for Mr. Leavitt?''
``No; I
have left him.''
``What are you doing?''
``I'm traveling with Professor Henderson.''
``What, the magician?''
``Yes.''
``And is that what brought you to Centreville?'' asked Luke, quickly.
``Yes.''
``I
thought,'' answered Luke, evasively, ``that you might be looking for work in some of the shoeshops here.''
``Is there any chance, do you think?''
``No, I
don't think there is,'' said Luke, hastily.
``Then I shall probably stay with the professor for the present.''
``What do you do?''
``Take tickets at the door and help him before-hand with his apparatus.''
``You'll let me in free, to-night, won't you?''
``That isn't for me to decide. It isn't my entertainment.''
``What a fool I was to pay him that five dollars!'' thought Luke, regretfully. ``If Ihadn't been such a simpleton, I should have found out what brought him here, before throwing away nearly all I had.''
This was the view Luke took of paying his debts. He regarded it as money thrown away. Apparently, a good many young men are of a similar opinion. This was not, however, according to Harry's code, and was never likely to be. He believed in honesty and integrity. If he hadn't I should feel far less confidence in his ultimate success.
``I
think I must leave you,'' said Harry, rising.
``The professor may need me.''
``Does it pay as much as Leavitt did?''
``Rather more.''
``I
wouldn't mind trying it myself. Do you handle all the money?''
``I
take the money at the door.''
``I
suppose you might keep back a dollar or so every night, and he'd never know the difference.''
``I
don't know. I never thought about that,'' said Harry, dryly.
``Oh, I
remember, you're one of the pious boys,'' sneered Luke.
``I'm too pious to take money that doesn't belong to me, if that's what you mean,''
said Harry.
``Do you mean that for me?'' Luke demanded, angrily.
``Mean what for you?''
``That about keeping other people's money,'' blustered Luke.
``I
wasn't talking about you at all. I was talking about myself.''
``I
don't believe in people that set themselves up to be so much better than anybody else.''
``Do you mean that for me?'' asked Harry, smiling.
``Yes, I do. What are you going to do about it?''
``Nothing,'' said Harry, quietly, ``except to deny that I make any such claims. Shall you come around to the hall to-night?''
``Perhaps so.''
``Then I shall see you. I must be going now.''
He went out, leaving Luke vainly deploring the loss of the five dollars which he had so foolishly squandered in paying his debt.
