"Well, it ain't anything so terrible," he said.

"Fact is, your brother Walter's got in a little trouble--well, I suppose you might call it quite a good deal of trouble.

Fact is, he's quite considerable short in his accounts down at Lamb and Company." Alice ran up the stairs and into her father's room, where Mrs.Adams threw herself into her daughter's arms.

"Is he gone ?" she sobbed.

"He didn't hear me, did he?
I tried so hard----" Alice patted the heaving shoulders her arms enclosed.