"Yes, certainly;" Ardmore replied promptly. He had never been addressed in quite this fashion before, but it was all in keeping with his new destiny and he was immediately interested in the stranger, who was well on in middle age, with a rough grizzled beard, and a soft hat, once black, that now struggled for a compromise tint between yellow and green. "Ever been hyeh befo'?" "Never; but I'm crazy about the place and I'll be seen here a good deal hereafter." Ardmore produced his cigar-case and extended it to the stranger. The man, awed by the splendor of the case, accepted a cigar a little gingerly. "Drummer, I reckon?" "Commercial traveler, we prefer to be designated," replied Ardmore with dignity. "I guess drummer's good enough down hyeh. What y'u carry?" "Jugs. I'm in the jug business. Never had any business but jugs." The man paused in lighting his cigar, stared at Ardmore over the flaming match, drew the fire into the cigar several times, then settled back with his hands in his pockets. "Full 'r empty?" "The jugs? Oh, empty jugs; but it's no affair of mine what becomes of the jugs afterwards." "Y'u likely got samples with y'u?" "Well, not many. You see my line is so well known I don't have to carry samples any more. The trade knows our goods." "Stop at Kildare on the way up?" and the stranger looked about guardedly. "Certainly, my friend, I always 'make' Kildare," replied Ardmore, using a phrase he had acquired at breakfast. "Train runs through the' pretty late at night?" "Beastly. But I hardly ever sleep, anyhow. A man in my splendid health doesn't need sleep. It's a rotten waste of time." Silence for several minutes; then the stranger leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees, and said in a low tone: "I got a telegram hyeh says y'u got a jug thet y'u ain't no right t' last night at Kildare. I want thet jug, young fella." "Now that's very unfortunate. Ordinarily I should be delighted, but I really couldn't give away my Kildare jug. Now if it was one of my other jugs--even my Omaha jug, or my dear old Louisville jug--I shouldn't hesitate a minute, but that old Kildare jug! My dear man, you don't know what you ask!" "Y'll give me thet jug or it'll be the worse for y'u. Y'u ain't in thet game, young fella." "Not in it! You don't know whom you are addressing. I'm not only in the game, but I'm in to the finish," declared Ardmore, sitting upright in his chair. "You've got the wrong idea, my friend, if you think you can intimidate me. That jug was given me by a friend, a very old and dear friend--" "A friend of yourn!" The keen little gray eyes were blinking rapidly.