You'd think, when he got to the top and knew everything, he could lay off and take things easy the rest of his life.

But not him! Nope, he's got to work like a slave every day." "But how come you felt them scars pricking as a bad-luck sign, Ronicky ?" he asked after a time.

"Is there anything that's gone wrong, far as you see ?" "I dunno," said Ronicky gravely.

"Maybe not, and maybe so.

I ain't a prophet, but I don't like having everything so smooth--not when they's a gent like the man with the sneer on the other end of the wire.