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Rh I'd continue to treat him as a friend; and at the same time I'd let drop that I was doing things on the square, and that the Penningtons had got all that was coming to them out of the Importing Company."

This advice seemed to strike Nuggy Polk's fancy, and he said that he would follow it. For the rest of the day he avoided Gilbert, and spent the time in trying to find somebody who could give him something of the young lieutenant's history.

By chance he struck Carl Stummer, whom he had seen in conversation vdth Gilbert a number of times. Stummer had taken greatly to the young lieutenant ever since the pair had been thrown together, and knew a good deal of the young officer's past.

"Your first lieutenant seems to be a popular man," said Nuggy Polk, by way of an opening.

"Lieutenant Pennington vos von goot fellow," answered Stummer. "Of all dere officers vos so goot, der army vould been a baradise, almost."

"I understand he is a Southerner, like myself."

"Dot vos so; but he vos in New York ven he got der var fever, und enlisted mit der Rough Riders for Cuba. You neffer enlisted, eh?"

"No. I—er—couldn't get away from business."