He was a married man and did not keep his wife and children in absolute comfort; but they lived, and Mr.Nickem in some fashion paid his way.
There was another clerk in the office, a very much younger man, named Sundown, and Nickem could not make his proposition to Mr.Masters till Sundown had left the office.

Nickem himself had only matured his plans at dinner time and was obliged to be reticent, till at six o'clock Sundown took himself off.

Mr.Masters was, at the moment, locking his own desk, when Nickem winked at him to stay.

Mr.Masters did stay, and Sundown did at last leave the office.
"You couldn't let me leave home for three days ?" said Nickem.

"There ain't much a doing." "What do you want it for ?" "That Goarly is a great blackguard, Mr.Masters." "Very likely.