"Yes," he went on, "had charge of all the pick-pockets--dips we called 'em--sure-thing gamblers and the like. Made him rich. I kept sort o' on the level and I'm broke. Guess it don't pay to be honest----" Laura gave him a quick look. In a significant tone of voice, she said: "You don't really think that?" The man shook his head dubiously. "No, maybe not. Ever since I married the missis and the first kid come we figured the only good money was the kind folks worked for and earned. But when you can't get hold of that, it's tough." The girl nodded, and, averting her head, looked out of the window. "I know," she said simply. The agent was in a loquacious mood this afternoon, and needed little encouragement to do all the talking. He went on: "Burgess don't seem to be losing sleep over the tricks he turned. He's happy and prosperous, but I guess he ain't any better now than he ought to be." "I guess he isn't," rejoined Laura quickly. "I know I've been trying to induce him to give me an engagement, but for some reason I get no satisfaction. There are half a dozen parts in his new attractions that I could do. He has never said absolutely 'no'; but, somehow, he's never said 'yes'." "That's odd," said her visitor, scratching his head, as if puzzled. "He spoke about you to-day." "In what way?" demanded the girl. "I gave him my address, and he saw it was yours, too. He asked if I lived in the same place." "Was that all?" "He wanted to know how you was getting on. I let him know you needed work, but I didn't tip my hand you was flat broke. He said something about you being a damned fool." Laura looked up in surprise. "How?" she demanded. Weston twirled his hat round nervously, and remained silent. "How?" she demanded again. Thus encouraged, he proceeded: "Well, Johnny Ensworth--you know he used to do the fights on the _Evening Screamer_; now he's press agent for Burgess; nice fellow and way on the inside--and he told me where you were in wrong." "What have I done?" she asked, taking a seat in the armchair. "Burgess don't put up the money for any of them musical comedies--he just trails. Of course, he's got a lot of influence, and he's always Johnny-on-the-Spot to turn any dirty trick that they want. There are four or five rich men in town who are there with the bank-roll, providing he engages women who ain't so very particular about the location of their residence, and who don't hear a curfew ring at eleven-thirty every night." "And he thinks I am too particular?" interrupted Laura dryly. "That's what was slipped me. Seems that one of the richest men who is in on Mr. Burgess's address book is that fellow Brockton. You're an old friend of his. He's got more money than he knows what to do with. He likes to play show business. And he thought that if you----"