He still looked disconcerted, but taking from his pocket a file of papers, carefully thumbed them over, and drew out from them a letter of introduction to me from Mr. Coe, in which Mr. Coe said that his friend had an affair on hand in which he thought I could serve him, and he had commended me to his friend. "Ah, you are a friend of Mr. Coe? Well, I see this note is dated over a month ago. Why have you delayed to bring it to me before?" "O, I'll explain. I live in Cincinnati, and was here on business at the time, stopping at Mr. Coe's. I told him my story, got this note from him, and intended to see you in a day or two; but a telegram called me home,"--(or "telegraph message," as he said, for this was before the days when some happy genius coined the felicitous word "telegram"), "and I have come again on business, and so have brought the note." "Is it in Cincinnati that I must work, if I enter upon the matter you may have to relate to me?" "Yes, sir, I suppose so; in fact, yes, of course, for there the robbery was committed." "O, a robbery, eh? Well, I don't think you had better tell me of it. It's too far away, and I have enough to do here; more than I wish I had of the kind which falls to my lot these days, and you can get detectives in Cincinnati who can afford to work for you cheaper than I could." "There you are mistaken," said he; "I cannot get any detectives in Cincinnati who can do me any good. I tried the best, and they were baffled, and so I had told Mr. Coe when he recommended you." "I am greatly obliged to Mr. Coe for his good opinion, but your case is a desperate one, if the best detectives of Cincinnati have had it in hand; and I suspect I could not do you the least good. You'll waste your money, I fear." The man looked for an instant as if he were shot; and then, suddenly recovering himself, he exclaimed, with an energy and fierceness of purpose which pleased me, "But, sir, something _must_ be done, and we must spend all our ready money or go to the wall, at any rate; things are getting complicated in our business, and we must fail in more than one way, _if_ we do not succeed." "You say 'we.' Are there others involved besides yourself?" "Yes; my partners, two of them." "I see that Mr. Coe has not told me your business, merely calling you his 'friend.'" "Yes, I suppose he thought best to let me tell you my whole story myself; and I would like to do that, although you seem unwilling, sir." I smiled, and said, "O, no, sir, not unwilling, for it is my business to listen to all such things; but you found me in a grum mood when you came. Have you never passed days in which you wished you were out of your present business, and in some other that you envied." "Yes, yes," said he excitedly; "and of late I've wished so all the while, for reasons I shall give you." "Well, go on with your story, I am a good listener."