A row of "pigeon-holes" at the back had their contents specified by printed tickets.

"Abstracts of correspondence, A to Z;" "Terms for commission agency;" "Key of the iron safe." "Key of the private ledger"-- and so on.

The ledger--a stout volume with a brass lock, like a private diary--was placed near the pigeon-holes.

On the top of it rested a smaller book, of the pocket--size, entitled "Private Accounts." Mrs.Wagner laid both books open before her, at the pages containing the most recent entries, and compared them.

"I felt sure I had forgotten it!" she said to herself--and transferred an entry in the ledger to the private account-book.