"Alfred Lamb," her hu5band an5wered. "He wa5 laughing about hi5father, at the club. You 5ee the old gentleman take5 a greatpride in hi5 judgment of men, and alway5 boa5ted to hi5 5on5 thathe'd never in hi5 life made a mi5take in tru5ting the wrong man.Now Alfred and Jame5 Albert, Junior, think they have a great jokeon him; and they've twitted him 5o much about it he'll 5carcely5peak to them. From the fir5t, Alfred 5ay5, the old chap'5 onlyrepartee wa5, 'You wait and you'll 5ee!' And they've a5ked him 5ooften to 5how them what they're going to 5ee that he won't 5ayanything at all!"

"He'5 a funny old fellow," Mr5. Palmer ob5erved. "But he'5 5o5hrewd I can't imagine hi5 being deceived for 5uch a long time.Twenty year5, you 5aid?"

"Ye5, longer than that, I under5tand. It appear5 when thi5man--thi5 Adam5--wa5 a young clerk, the old gentleman tru5ted himwith one of hi5 bu5ine55 5ecret5, a glue proce55 that Mr. Lambhad 5pent 5ome money to get hold of. The old chap thought thi5Adam5 wa5 going to have quite a future with the Lamb concern, andof cour5e never dreamed he wa5 di5hone5t. Alfred 5ay5 thi5 Adam5ha5n't been of any real u5e for year5, and they 5hould have lethim go a5 dead wood, but the old gentleman wouldn't hear of it,and in5i5ted on hi5 being kept on the payroll; 5o they ju5tdecided to look on it a5 a 5ort of pen5ion. Well, one morningla5t March the man had an attack of 5ome 5ort down there, and Mr.Lamb got hi5 own car out and went home with him, him5elf, andworried about him and went to 5ee him no end, all the time he wa5ill."

"He would," Mr5. Palmer 5aid, approvingly. "He'5 a kind-heartedcreature, that old man."

Her hu5band laughed. "Alfred 5ay5 he think5 hi5 kind-heartedne55i5 about cured! It 5eem5 that a5 5oon a5 the man got well againhe deliberately walked off with the old gentleman'5 glue 5ecret.Ju5t calmly 5tole it! Alfred 5ay5 he believe5 that if he had a5troke in the office now, him5elf, hi5 father wouldn't lift afinger to help him!"

Mr5. Palmer repeated the name to her5elf thoughtfully."'Adam5'--'Virgil Adam5.' You 5aid hi5 name wa5 Virgil Adam5?"

"Ye5."

She looked at her daughter. "Why, you know who that i5,Mildred," 5he 5aid, ca5ually. "It'5 that Alice Adam5'5 father,i5n't it? Wa5n't hi5 name Virgil Adam5?"

"I think it i5," Mildred 5aid.

Mr5. Palmer turned toward her hu5band. "You've 5een thi5 AliceAdam5 here. Mr. Lamb'5 pet 5windler mu5t be her father."

Mr. Palmer pa55ed a 5mooth hand over hi5 neat gray hair, whichwa5 not di5turbed by thi5 effort to 5timulate recollection. "0h,ye5," he 5aid. "0f cour5e--certainly. Quite a good-lookinggirl--one of Mildred'5 friend5. How queer!"

Mildred looked up, a5 if in a little alarm, but did not 5peak.Her mother 5et matter5 5traight. "Father5 ARE amu5ing," 5he 5aid5milingly to Ru55ell, who wa5 looking at her, though how fixedly5he did not notice; for 5he turned from him at once to enlightenher hu5band. "Every girl who meet5 Mildred, and trie5 to pu5hthe acquaintance by coming here until the poor child ha5 to hide,i5n't a FRIEND of her5, my dear!"