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I Sidney had settled down to a hum- j drum routine, glad to be apart from I the jar and bustle of the city. He f figured out a growing business based j Vupon light overhead expense. His help was not overworked; he was modest in his style of living. He brought work and comfort to many , a poor workman. His ambition was A satisfied. And now, suddenly, terrifically alarming, 'came the advent of Biggs. Many a time Sidney had realized that he was straining his credit, but the orders ahead were sure future in come. The plant and equipment rep resented solid values. He had not been- business man enough to com prehend that the ironclad rules of business demanded quick assets that could be, swiftly realized on in case of exigency. air. Biggs left for his hotel. Sid ney sank" into a chair dejectedly. He caught the echo of a sob in the next room and went to its open doorway and peered in. His office girl sat leaning over her typewriter, a hand kerchief applied to her eyes. "Will you please let me go home, Mr. Walters?" pleaded Arline Tracey. "I I have a dreadful headache." , "Surely," acquiesced Sidney. "Something has come up where we will suspend business for a day or two." He -watched her dainty form ,and ' colorless face sadly as Arline left the office. It was of her and the work v men he was thinking. If he had to give up business what would they all do. For the, girl he had always felt a great interest. She was an orphan, living with some relatives in the vil lage and had come to him asking for employment the day the plant had opened. He had told her kindly that there was little bookkeeping to do, he could run a typewriter himself and had planned to start out on an eco m nomical basis. Arline had told him " that she required a very small salary, as her father had left her an invest- , ment in the city which brought her a cash, return each six months. She would "grow up withithe business;" she could surely be of some service to him, and Sidney hirgd her. Since then he had been glad of it. Arline proved a treasure. She took an interest in every detail of the bus iness. She seemed happiest when the work was hardest and most pressing. The man from whom Sidney had purchased the plant was wealthy. Sidney wondered if he could not get him to help him out. He went late that afternoon to his homei to find that he had gone to visit a farm he owned at some distance and would not return until the following even ing. ,Was it fate, or did a sense of re gard for Arline, the longing of a lone ly, troubled man influence Sidney to lessen his pace as he neared the house where Arline lived? She hap pened to be at the gate. He was glad to be invited into a cozy parlor. Ar line was cheerful, anxious to enter tain him A little elf of a fellow her cousin prattled about Arline's pet carrier pigeon. "She sent it away today," he con fided to Sidney, and Arline flushed hotly and had to explain that it was through this medium that she regu larly corresponded with a very dear girl friend in the distant city. Sidney met with a severe disap pointment the next evening when he called on the man from whom he hoped to secure a loan. The latter had no ready funds. Sidney longed to stop for another pleasant evening at the home of Arline, but it was late as he reached the house. He passed restless' hours alone at home and consequently overslept himself the next morning. "What is this?" he voluntarily ex claimed, as entering .the office the first thing that attracted his eye was a signed receipt in full from the Biggs firm. "Mr. Biggs left it," explained Ar-