"Did you ever own any?" she inquired.
"No, but I used to cash the coupons for my employer in Louisville, and I know a good deal about them."
"What business were you in there?" she asked, with a considerable show of interest.
"I was bookkeeper for a wholesale liquor firm, and the senior partner used to put all his money into government bonds."
"Why did you leave Louisville?" she continued, seemingly desirous of learning as much as possible of his history.
"Oh! well, I got hard up," he replied, evasively, "and there was some mistake in my accounts which I couldn't explain satisfactorily, so I thought best to go out of town for awhile. You know we are all liable to mistakes when we are hard up."
"Yes, indeed, I understand," she replied, in a satisfied tone of voice. "What are you going to do here?"
"Well, I can't tell yet. I have a small job of closing up a set of books for the year, and when that is done I shall look around for something else. I'm not particular what I do, if it pays well."
"Perhaps you could get employment from the Relief and Aid Society," she said, "and then you could get lots of nice things for me. This man, Graves, whose room you are to have, is employed there, and he steals enough to keep the woman who is with him in good style."
"Why, aren't they married?" asked Ingham.