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Billy grinned He could not conceal his pleasure

"You're past twenty-one," he said, "an' dry behind the ears Let's go an' eat There is still soether they entered a saloon which Bridge ree consule schooner of beer

There were round tables scattered about the floor in front of the bar, and after purchasing their beer they carried it to one of these that stood in a far corner of the roouard over the foa open sesame to food while Billy crossed to the free lunch counter and appropriated all that a zealous attendant would permit him to carry off

When he returned to the table he took a chair with his back to the wall in confor when, as now, it had stood hiood stead to be in a position to see the other fellow at least as soon as the other fello hientleman with a bit of shiny ht one," said Billy, jerking his hand in the direction of the guardian of the free lunch "I scoops up about a good, square h up half of it Wants to know if I t'ink I can go into the restaurant business on a fi'-cent schooner of suds"

Bridge laughed

"Well, you didn't do so badly at that," he said "I know places where they'd indict you for grand larceny if you took much more than you have here"

"Rotten beer," coe "I sometimes think they put moth balls in it so it won't spoil"

Billy looked up and slass before hiot no further His eyes traveling past his co the low doorway

At the sanition lit those of each si ht toward Billy Byrne

The latter leaped to his feet Bridge, guessing what had happened, rose too

"Flannagan!" he exclai at his revolver, which had stuck in his hip pocket Byrne reached for his oeapon Bridge laid a hand on his arm