"That was when I had to pay them," said the elder. "They work pretty well when they haven't any money."
"Have you paid them lately, Sir?" asked Janice. "I am asking for a very good reason—not out of curiosity."
"I have not. It's a month and more since they saw the color of my money. Hold on! that's not quite true," he added suddenly. "I gave Jim Narnay a dollar Saturday afternoon."
"Oh!"
"He came by here on his way to town. Said he was going down to see his sick baby. She is sick, isn't she?"
"Oh, yes," murmured Janice. "Poor little thing!"
"Well, he begged for some money, and I let him have a dollar. He said he didn't want to go down home without a cent in his pocket. So I gave it to him."
"Only a dollar?" repeated the girl thoughtfully.
The old man's face flushed a little, and he said tartly: "I reckon that did him no good. By the looks of his face when he went through here Sunday night he'd proberbly spent it all in liquor, I sh'd say."
"Oh, no! I didn't mean to criticize your generosity," Janice said quickly. "I believe you gave him more than was good for him. I know that Mrs. Narnay and the children had little benefit of it."