\"Peaches？\"saidhe，withextremedeliberation。
\"Well，no，Sir。Notforthreeorfourweeksyet。
Ihaven’tanyideawhereyoumightfindsome。Theremaybeafewintownfromundertheglass，butthey’dbebardtolocate。Maybeatoneofthemoreexpen—
sivehotels—someplacewherethere’splentyofmoneytowaste。I’vegotsomeveryfineoranges，though—fromashiploadthatcameinto—day。\"
TheKidlingeredonthecornerforamoment，andthensetoutbrisklytowardapairofgreenlightsthatflankedthestepsofabuildingdownadarksidestreet。
\"Captainaroundanywhere？\"heaskedofthedesksergeantofthepolicestation。
Atthatmomentthecaptaincamebrisklyforwardfromtherear。Hewasinplainclothesandhadabusyair。
\"Hello，Kid，\"hesaidtothepugilist。\"Thoughtyouwerebridal—touring？
\"Gotbackyesterday。I’masolidcitizennow。
ThinkI’lltakeaninterestinmunicipaldoings。HowwoulditsuityoutogetintoDenverDick’splaceto—
night，Cap？
\"Pastperformances，\"saidthecaptain，twistinghismoustache。\"Denverwascloseduptwomonthsago。\"
\"Correct，\"saidtheKid。\"RaffertychasedhimoutoftheForty—third。He’srunninginyourpre—
cinctnow，andhisgame’sbiggerthanever。I’mdownonthisgamblingbusiness。Icanputyouagainsthisgame。\"
\"Inmyprecinct？\"growledthecaptain。\"Areyousure，Kid？I’lltakeitasafavor。Haveyougottheentree？Howisittobedone？\"
\"Hammers，\"saidtheKid。\"Theyhaven’tgotanysteelonthedoorsyet。You’llneedtenmen。
No，theywon’tletmeintheplace。Denverhasbeentryingtodome。HethoughtItippedhimofffortheotherraid。Ididn’t，though。Youwanttohurry。
I’vegottogetbackhome。Thehouseisonlythreeblocksfromhere。\"
Beforetenminuteshadspedthecaptainwithadozenmenstolewiththeirguideintothehallwayofadarkandvirtuous—lookingbuildinginwhichmanybusinesseswereconductedbyday。
\"Thirdfloor，rear，\"saidtheKid，softly。\"I’llleadtheway。\"
Twoaxemenfacedthedoorthathepointedouttothem。
\"Itseemsallquiet，\"saidthecaptain，doubtfully。
\"Areyousureyourtipisstraight？\"
\"Cutaway！\"saidtheKid。\"It’sonmeifitain’t。\"
Theaxescrashedthroughtheasyetunprotecteddoor。Ablazeoflightfromwithinpouredthroughthesmashedpanels。Thedoorfell，andtheraidersrangintotheroomwiththeirgunshandy。
Thebigroomwasfurnishedwiththegaudymag—
nificencedeartoDenverDick’swesternideas。Vari—
ouswell—patronizedgameswereinprogress。Aboutfiftymenwhowereintheroomrusheduponthepoliceinagrandbreakforpersonalliberty。Theplain—
clothesmenhadtodoalittleclub—swinging。Morethanhalfthepatronsescaped。
DenverDickhadgracedhisgamewithhisownpresencethatnight。Heledtherushthatwasin—
tendedtosweepawaythesmallerbodyofraiders，ButwhenbesawtheKidhismannerbecamepersonal。
Beingintheheavyweightclassbecasthimselfjoy—
fullyuponhisslighterenemy，andtheyrolleddownaflightofstairsineachothersarms。Ontheland—
ingtheyseparatedandarose，andthentheKidwasabletousesomeofhisprofessionaltactics，whichhadbeenuselesstohimwhileintheexcitedclutchofa200—poundsportinggentlemanwhowasabouttolose$20，000worthofparaphernalia。
AftervanquishinghisadversarytheKidhurriedupstairsandthroughthegambling—roomintoasmallerapartmentconnectingbyanarcheddoorway。
Herewasalongtablesetwithchoicestchinawareandsilver，andlavishlyfurnishedwithfoodofthatexpensiveandspectacularsortofwhichthedevoteesofsportaresupposedtobefond。Hereagainwastobeperceivedtheliberalandfloridtasteofthegen—
tlemanwiththeurbancognomenalprefix。
ANo。10patentleathershoeprotrudedafewofitsinchesoutsidethetableclothalongthefloor。TheKidseizedthisandpluckedforthablackmaninawhitetieandthegarbofaservitor。
\"Getup！\"commandedtheKid。\"Areyouinchargeofthisfreelunch？\"
\"Yes，sah，Iwas。Hastheydonepinchedusag’in，boss？\"
\"Looksthatway。Listentome。Arethereanypeachesinthislayout？Ifthereain’tI’llhavetothrowupthesponge。\"
\"Therewasthreedozen，sah，whenthegameopenedthisevenin’;butIreckonthegentlemendoneeat’emallup。Ifyou’dliketoeatafust—rateorange，sah，Ikinfindyousome。\"
\"Getbusy，\"orderedtheKid，sternly，andmovewhateverpeachcropyou’vegotquickorthere’llbetrouble。Ifanybodyorangesmeagainto—night，I’llknockhisfaceoff。\"
TheraidonDenverDick’shigh—pricedandprodi—
galluncheonrevealedonelone，lastpeachthathadescapedtheepicureanjawsofthefollowersofchance。IntotheKid’spocketitwent，andthatin—
defatigableforagerdepartedimmediatelywithhisprize。Withscarcelyaglanceatthesceneonthesidewalkbelow，wheretheofficerswereloadingtheirprisonersintothepatrolwagons，bemovedhomewardwithlong，swiftstrides。
Hisheartwaslightasbewent。SorodetheknightsbacktoCamelotafterperilsandhighdeedsdonefortheirladiesfair。TheKid’sladyhadcom—
mandedhimandbehadobeyed。True，itwasbutapeachthatshehadcraved;butithadbeennosmalldeedtogleanapeachatmidnightfromthatwintrycitywhereyettheFebruarysnowslaylikeiron。
Shehadaskedforapeach;shewashisbride;inhispocketthepeachwaswarminginhisbandthathelditforfearthatitmightfalloutandbelost。
OnthewaytheKidturnedinatanall—nightdrugstoreandsaidtothespectacledclerk：
\"Say，sport，Iwishyou’dsizeupthisribofmineandseeifit’sbroke。Iwasinalittlescrapandbumpeddownaflightortwoofstairs。\"
Thedruggistmadeanexamination。
\"Itisn’tbroken，\"washisdiagnosis，\"butyouhaveabruisetherethatlookslikeyou’dfallenofftheFlatirontwice。\"
\"That’sallright，\"saidtheKid。\"Let’shaveyourclothesbrush，please。\"
Thebridewaitedintherosyglowofthepinklampshade。Themiracleswerenotallpassedaway。Bybreathingadesireforsomeslightthing—aflower，apomegranate，a—oh，yes，apeach—shecouldsendforthhermanintothenight，intotheworldwhichcouldnotwithstandhim，andhewoulddoherbidding。
Andnowbestoodbyherchairandlaidthepeachinherband。
\"Naughtyboy！\"shesaid，fondly。\"DidIsayapeach？IthinkIwouldmuchratherhavehadanorange。\"
Blestbethebride。
THEHARBINGER
Longbeforethespringtideisfeltinthedullbosomoftheyokeldoesthecitymanknowthatthegrass—
greengoddessisuponherthrone。Hesitsathisbreakfasteggsandtoast，begirtbystonewalls，openshismorningpaperandseesjournalismleavevernal—
ismatthepost。
For，whereas，spring’scourierswereoncetheevi—
denceofourfinersenses，nowtheAssociatedPressdoesthetrick。
ThewarbleofthefirstrobininHackensack，thestirringofthemaplesapinBennington，thebud—
dingofthepussywillowsalongMainStreetinSyra—
cuse，thefirstchirpofthebluebird，theswansongoftheBluePoint，theannualtornadoinSt。Louis，theplaintofthepeachpessimistfromPompton，N。
J。，theregularvisitofthetamewildgoosewithabrokenlegtothepondnearBilgewaterJunction，thebaseattemptoftheDrugTrusttoboostthepriceofquininefoiledintheHousebyCongressmanJinks，thefirsttallpoplarstruckbylightningandtheusualstunnedpicknickerswhohadtakenrefuge，thefirstcrackoftheicejamintheAlleghenyRiver，thefindingofavioletinitsmossybedbythecorrespondentatRoundCorners—thesearetheadvancesignsoftheburgeoningseasonthatarewiredintothewisecity，whilethefarmerseesnothingbutwinteruponhisdrearyfields。
Butthesebemereexternals。Thetrueharbingeristheheart。WhenStrephonseekshisChloeandMikehisMaggie，thenonlyisspringarrivedandthenewspaperreportofthefive—footrattlerkilledinSquirePettigrew’spastureconfirmed。
Erethefirstvioletblew，Mr。Peters，Mr。RagsdaleandMr。KiddsattogetheronabenchinUnionSquareandconspired。Mr。PeterswastheD’Artag—
nanoftheloafersthere。Hewasthedingiest，thelaziest，thesorriestbrownblotagainstthegreenback—
groundofanybenchinthepark。Butjustthenhewasthemostimportantofthetrio。
Mr。Petershadawife。ThishadnotheretoforeaffectedhisstandingwithRagsyandKidd。Butto—
dayitinvestedhimwithapeculiarinterest。Hisfriends，havingescapedmatrimony，hadshownadispositiontoderideMr。Petersforhisventureonthattroubledsea。ButatlasttheyhadbeenforcedtoacknowledgethateitherhehadbeengiftedwithalargeforesightorthathewasoneofFortune’sluckysons。
For，Mrs。Petershadadollar。Awholedollarbill，goodandreceivablebytheGovernmentforcustoms，taxesandallpublicdues。Howtogetpossessionofthatdollarwasthequestionupfordiscussionbythethreemustymusketeers。
\"Howdoyouknowitwasadollar？\"askedRagsy，theimmensityofthesuminclininghimtoscepticism。
\"Thecoalmanseenherhaveit，\"saidMr。Peters。
\"Shewentoutanddonesomewashingyesterday。
Andlookwhatshegivemeforbreakfast—theheelofaloafandacupofcoffee，andherwithadollar！\"
\"It’sfierce，\"saidRagsy。
\"Saywegoupandpunch’erandstickatowelin’ermouthandcopthecoin\"suggestedKidd，Viciously。\"Y’ain’tafraidofawoman，areyou？\"
\"Shemighthollerandhaveuspinched，\"demurredRagsy。\"Idon’tbelieveinsluggingnowomaninahousefulofpeople。\"
\"Gent’men，\"saidMr。Peters，severely，throughhisrussetstubble，\"rememberthatyouarespeakingofmywife。Amanwhowouldlifthishandtoaladyexceptinthewayof——\"
\"Maguire，\"saidRagsy，pointedly，\"hasgothisbockbeersignout。Ifwehadadollarwecould——\"
\"Hushup！\"saidMr。Peters，lickinghislips。
\"Wegottogetthatcasenotesomehow，boys。Ain’twhat’saman’swife’shis？Leaveittome。I’llgoovertothehouseandgetit。Waithereforme。\"
\"I’veseen’emgiveupquick，andtellyouwhereit’shidifyoukick’emintheribs，\"saidKidd。
\"Nomanwouldkickawoman，\"saidPeters，vir—
tuously。\"Alittlechoking—justatouchonthewindpipe—thatgetsawaywith’em—andnomarksleft。Waitforme。I’llbringbackthatdollar，boys。\"
Highupinatenement—housebetweenSecondAve—
nueandtheriverlivedthePetersesinabackroomsogloomythatthelandlordblushedtotaketherentforit。Mrs。Petersworkedatsundrytimes，doingoddjobsofscrubbingandwashing。Mr。Petershadapure，unbrokenrecordoffiveyearswithouthavingearnedapenny。Andyettheyclungtogether，shar—
ingeachother’shatredandmisery，beingcreaturesofhabit。Ofhabit，thepowerthatkeepstheearthfromflyingtopieces;thoughthereissomesillytheoryofgravitation。
Mrs。Petersreposedher200poundsonthesaferofthetwochairsandgazedstolidlyouttheonewin—
dowatthebrickwallopposite。Hereyeswereredanddamp。Thefurniturecouldhavebeencarriedawayonapushcart，butnopushcartmanwouldhaveremoveditasagift。
ThedooropenedtoadmitMr。Peters。Hisfox—
terriereyesexpressedawish。Hiswife’sdiagnosislocatedcorrectlytheseatofit，butmisreadithun—
gerinsteadofthirst。
\"You’llgetnothingmoretoeattillnight，\"shesaid，lookingoutofthewindowagain。Takeyourhound—dog’sfaceoutoftheroom。\"
Mr。Peters’seyecalculatedthedistancebetweenthem。Bytakingherbysurpriseitmightbepos—
sibletospringuponher，overthrowher，andapplythethrottlingtacticsofwhichhehadboastedtohiswaitingcomrades。True，ithadbeenonlyaboast;neveryethadbedaredtolayviolentbandsuponher;butwiththethoughtsofthedelicious，coolbockorCulmbacherbracinghisnerves，hewasneartoupsettinghisowntheoriesofthetreatmentduebyagentlemantoalady。But，withhisloafer’sloveforthemoreartisticandlessstrenuousway，hechosediplomacyfirst，thehighcardinthegame——theas—
sumedattitudeofsuccessalreadyattained。
\"Youhaveadollar，\"hesaid，loftily，butsignifi—
cantlyinthetonethatgoeswiththelightingofacigar—whenthepropertiesareathand。\"
\"Ihave，\"saidMrs。Peters，producingthebillfromherbosomandcracklingit，teasingly。
\"Iamofferedapositionina——inateastore，\"
saidMr。Peters。\"Iamtobeginworkto—morrow。
Butitwillbenecessaryformetobuyapairof——\"
\"Youarealiar，\"saidMrs。Peters，reinterringthenote。\"Noteastore，nornoABCstore，nornojunkshopwouldhaveyou。Irubbedtheskinoffbothmehandswashin’jumpersandoverallstomakethatdollar。Doyouthinkitcomeoutofthemsudstobuythekindyouputintoyou？Skiddoo！Getyourmindoffofmoney。\"
EvidentlytheposesofTalleyrandwerenotworthonehundredcentsonthatdollar。Butdiplomacyisdexterous。TheartistictemperamentofMr。Petersliftedhimbythestrapsofhiscongressgaitersandsethimonnewground。Hecalledupalookofdes—
peratemelancholytohiseyes。
\"Clara，\"hesaid，hollowly，\"tostrugglefurtherisuseless。Youhavealwaysmisunderstoodme。
HeavenknowsIhavestrivenwithallmymighttokeepmyheadabovethewavesofmisfortune，but—\"
\"Cutouttherainbowofhopeandthatstuffaboutwalkin’onebyonethroughthenarrowislesofSpain，\"saidMrs。Peters，withasigh。\"I’vehearditsooften。There’sanouncebottleofcarbolicontheshelfbehindtheemptycoffeecan。Drinkhearty。\"
Mr。Petersreflected。Whatnext！Theoldex—
pedientshadfailed。Thetwomustymusketeerswereawaitinghimhardbytheruinedchateau——thatistosay，onaparkbenchwithricketycast—ironlegs。
Hishonorwasatstake。Hehadengagedtostormthecastlesingle—handedandbringbackthetreas—
urethatwastofurnishthemwassailandsolace。Andallthatstoodbetweenhimandthecoveteddollarwashiswife，oncealittlegirlwhomhecould——aha！
——whynotagain？Oncewithsoftwordshecould，astheysay，twistheraroundhislittlefinger。Whynotagain？Notforyearshadhetriedit。Grimpovertyandmutualhatredhadkilledallthat。ButRagsyandKiddwerewaitingforhimtobringthedollar！
Mr。Peterstookasurreptitiouslykeenlookathiswife。Herformlessbulkoverflowedthechair。Shekepthereyesfixedoutthewindowinastrangekindoftrance。Hereyesshowedthatshehadbeenre—
centlyweeping。
\"Iwonder，\"saidMr。Peterstohimself，\"ifthere’dbeanythinginit。\"
Thewindowwasopenuponitsoutlookofbrickwallsanddrab，barrenbackyards。Exceptforthemildnessoftheairthatentereditmighthavebeenmidwinteryetinthecitythatturnssuchafrown—
ingfacetobesiegingspring。Butspringdoesn’tcomewiththethunderofcannon。Sheisasapperandaminer，andyoumustcapitulate。
\"I’lltryit，\"saidMr。Peterstohimself，makingawryface。
Hewentuptohiswifeandputhisarmacrosshershoulders。
\"Clara，darling，\"hesaidintonesthatshouldn’thavefooledababyseal，\"whyshouldwehavehardwords？Ain’tyoumyowntootsumwootsums？
\"Ablackmarkagainstyou，Mr。Peters，inthesa—
redledgerofCupid。Chargesofattemptedgraftarefiledagainstyou，andofforgeryandutteranceoftwoofLove’sholiestofappellations。
Butthemiracleofspringwaswrought。IntothebackroomoverthebackalleybetweentheblackwallshadcrepttheHarbinger。Itwasridiculous，andyet—Well，itisarattrap，andyou，madamandsirandallofus，areinit。
RedandfatandcryinglikeNiobeorNiagara，Mrs。Petersthrewherarmsaroundherlordanddissolveduponhim。Mr。Peterswouldhavestriventoextricatethedollarbillfromitsdepositvault，buthisarmswereboundtohissides。
\"Doyouloveme，James？\"askedMrs。Peters。
\"Madly，\"saidJames，\"but——\"
\"Youareill！\"exclaimedMrs。Peters。\"Whyareyousopaleandtiredlooking？\"
\"Ifeelweak，\"saidMr。Peters。\"I——\"
\"Oh，wait;Iknowwhatitis。Wait，James。I’llbebackinaminutes’’
WithapartingbugthatrevivedinMr。PetersrecollectionsoftheTerribleTurk，hiswifehurriedoutoftheroomanddownthestairs。
Mr。Petershitchedhisthumbsunderhissus—
penders。
\"Allright，\"heconfidedtotheceiling。\"I’vegothergoing。Ihadn’tanyideatheoldgirlwassoftanymoreunderthefoolishrib。Well，sir;ain’tI
theClaudeMelnotteofthelowerEastSide？What？
It’sa100to1shotthatIgetthedollar。Iwonderwhatshewentoutfor。Iguessshe’sgonetotellMrs。Muldoononthesecondfloor，thatwe’rerecon—
ciled。I’llrememberthis。Softsoap！AndRagsywastalkingaboutsluggingher！
Mrs。Peterscamebackwithabottleofsarsapa—
rilla。
\"I’mgladIhappenedtohavethatdollar，\"shesaid。\"You’reallrundown，boney。\"
Mr。Petershadatablespoonfulofthestuffin—
sertedintohim。ThenMrs。Peterssatonhislapandmurmured：
\"Callmetootsumwootsumsagain，James。\"
Hesatstill，heldtherebyhismaterializedgoddessofspring。
Springhadcome。
OnthebenchinUnionSquareMr。RagsdaleandMr。Kiddsquirmed，tongue—parched，awaitingD’Artagnanandhisdollar。
\"IwishIhadchokedheratfirst，\"saidMr。Peterstohimself。
WHILETHEAUTOWAITS
Promptlyatthebeginningoftwilight，cameagaintothatquietcornerofthatquiet，smallparkthegirlingray。Shesatuponabenchandreadabook，fortherewasyettocomeahalfhourinwhichprintcouldbeaccomplished。
Torepeat：Herdresswasgray，andplainenoughtomaskitsimpeccancyofstyleandfit。Alarge—
meshedveilimprisonedherturbanhatandafacethatshonethroughitwithacalmandunconsciousbeauty。Shehadcomethereatthesamehouronthedayprevious，andonthedaybeforethat;andtherewasonewhoknewit。
Theyoungmanwhoknewithoverednear，relyinguponburntsacrificestothegreatjoss，Luck。Hispietywasrewarded，for，inturningapage，herbookslippedfromherfingersandboundedfromthebenchafullyardaway。
Theyoungmanpounceduponitwithinstantavid—
ity，returningittoitsownerwiththatairthatseemstoflourishinparksandpublicplaces—acompoundofgallantryandhope，temperedwithrespectforthepolicemanonthebeat。Inapleasantvoice，beriskedaninconsequentremarkupontheweatherthatin—
troductorytopicresponsibleforsomuchoftheworld’sunhappiness—andstoodpoisedforamo—
ment，awaitinghisfate。
Thegirllookedhimoverleisurely;athisordinary，neatdressandhisfeaturesdistinguishedbynothingparticularinthewayofexpression。
\"Youmaysitdown，ifyoulike，\"shesaid，inafull，deliberatecontralto。\"Really，Iwouldliketohaveyoudoso。Thelightistoobadforreading。
Iwouldprefertotalk。\"
ThevassalofLuckslidupontheseatbyhersidewithcomplaisance。
\"Doyouknow，\"besaid，speakingtheformulawithwhichparkchairmenopentheirmeetings，\"thatyouarequitethestunningestgirlIhaveseeninalongtime？Ihadmyeyeonyouyesterday。
Didn’tknowsomebodywasbowledoverbythoseprettylampsofyours，didyou，honeysuckle？\"
\"Whoeveryouare，\"saidthegirl，inicytones，\"youmustrememberthatIamalady。Iwillexcusetheremarkyouhavejustmadebecausethemistakewas，doubtless，notanunnaturalone——inyourcircle。
Iaskedyoutositdown;iftheinvitationmustcon—
stitutemeyourhoneysuckle，consideritwith—
drawn。\"
\"Iearnestlybegyourpardon，\"pleadedtheyoungran。Hisexpressionofsatisfactionhadchangedtooneofpenitenceandhumility。Itwasmyfault，youknow—Imean，therearegirlsinparks，youknow—thatis，ofcourse，youdon’tknow，but——\"
\"Abandonthesubject，ifyouplease。OfcourseIknow。Now，tellmeaboutthesepeoplepassingandcrowding，eachway，alongthesepaths。Wherearetheygoing？Whydotheyhurryso？Aretheyhappy？\"
Theyoungmanhadpromptlyabandonedhisairofcoquetry。Hiscuewasnowforawaitingpart;
hecouldnotguesstherolebewouldbeexpectedtoplay。
\"Itisinterestingtowatchthem，\"hereplied，pos—
tulatinghermood。\"Itisthewonderfuldramaoflife。Somearegoingtosupperandsometo——er——
otherplaces。Onewonderswhattheirhistoriesare。\"
\"Idonot，\"saidthegirl;\"Iamnotsoinquisi—
tive。Icomeheretositbecausehere，only，canIbetearthegreat，common，throbbingheartofhu—
manity。Mypartinlifeiscastwhereitsbeatsareneverfelt。CanyousurmisewhyIspoketoyou，Mr。——？\"
\"Parkenstacker，\"suppliedtheyoungman。Thenbelookedeagerandhopeful。
\"No，\"saidthegirl，holdingupaslenderfinger，andsmilingslightly。\"Youwouldrecognizeitim—
mediately。Itisimpossibletokeepone’snameoutofprint。Orevenone’sportrait。Thisveilandthishatofmymaidfurnishmewithanincog。YoushouldhaveseenthechauffeurstareatitwhenhethoughtIdidnotsee。Candidly，therearefiveorsixnamesthatbelongintheholyofholies，andmine，bytheaccidentofbirth，isoneofthem。Ispoketoyou，Mr。Stackenpot——\"
\"Parkenstacker，\"correctedtheyoungman，mod—
estly。
\"——Mr。Parkenstacker，becauseIwantedtotalk，foronce，withanaturalman——oneunspoiledbythedespicableglossofwealthandsupposedsocialsu—
periority。Oh！youdonotknowhowwearyIamofit——money，money，money！Andofthemenwhosurroundme，dancinglikelittlemarionettesallcutbythesamepattern。Iamsickofpleasure，ofjewels，oftravel，ofsociety，ofluxuriesofallkinds。\"
\"Ialwayshadanidea，\"venturedtheyoungman，hesitatingly，\"thatmoneymustbeaprettygoodthing。\"
\"Acompetenceistobedesired。Butwhenyouleavesomanymillionsthat——！\"Sheconcludedthesentencewithagestureofdespair。\"Itisthemo—
otonyofit\"shecontinued，\"thatpalls。Drives，dinners，theatres，balls，suppers，withthegildingofsuperfluouswealthoveritall。Sometimestheverytinkleoftheiceinmychampagneglassnearlydrivesmemad。\"
Mr。Parkenstackerlookedingenuouslyinterested。
\"Ihavealwaysliked，\"hesaid，\"toreadandhearaboutthewaysofwealthyandfashionablefolks。I
supposeIamabitofasnob。ButIliketohavemyinformationaccurate。Now，Ihadformedtheopin—
ionthatchampagneiscooledinthebottleandnotbyplacingiceintheglass。\"
Thegirlgaveamusicallaughofgenuineamuse—
ment。
\"Youshouldknow，\"sheexplained，inanindul—
genttone，\"thatweofthenon—usefulclassdependforouramusementupondeparturefromprecedent。
Justnowitisafadtoputiceinchampagne。TheideawasoriginatedbyavisitingPrinceofTartarywhilediningattheWaldorf。Itwillsoongivewaytosomeotherwhim。JustasatadinnerpartythisweekonMadisonAvenueagreenkidglovewaslaidbytheplateofeachguesttobeputonandusedwhileeatingolives。\"
\"Isee，\"admittedtheyoungman，humbly。
\"Thesespecialdiversionsoftheinnercircledonotbecomefamiliartothecommonpublic。\"
\"Sometimes，\"continuedthegirl，acknowledginghisconfessionoferrorbyaslightbow，\"IhavethoughtthatifIevershouldloveamanitwouldbeoneoflowlystation。Onewhoisaworkerandnotadrone。But，doubtless，theclaimsofcasteandwealthwillprovestrongerthanmyinclination。JustnowIambesiegedbytwo。OneisaGrandDukeofaGermanprincipality。Ithinkhehas，orhasbad，awife，somewhere，drivenmadbyhisintemperanceandcruelty。TheotherisanEnglishMarquis，socoldandmercenarythatIevenpreferthediabolismoftheDuke。Whatisitthatimpelsmetotellyouthesethings，Mr。Packenstacker？
\"Parkenstacker，\"breathedtheyoungman。\"In—
deed，youcannotknowhowmuchIappreciateyourconfidences。\"
Thegirlcontemplatedhimwiththecalm，imper—
sonalregardthatbefittedthedifferenceintheirsta—
tions。
\"Whatisyourlineofbusiness，Mr。Parken—
stacker？\"sheasked。
\"Averyhumbleone。ButIhopetoriseintheworld。Wereyoureallyinearnestwhenyousaidthatyoucouldloveamanoflowlyposition？\"
\"IndeedIwas。ButIsaid’might。’ThereistheGrandDukeandtheMarquis，youknow。Yes;nocallingcouldbetoohumblewerethemanwhatI
wouldwishhimtobe。\"
\"Iwork，\"declaredMr。Parkenstacker，\"inares—
taurant。\"
Thegirlshrankslightly。
\"Notasawaiter？\"shesaid，alittleimploringly。
\"Laborisnoble，butpersonalattendance，youknow——valetsand——\"
\"Iamnotawaiter。Iamcashierin\"——onthestreettheyfacedthatboundedtheoppositesideoftheparkwasthebrilliantelectricsign\"RESTAU—
RANT\"——\"Iamcashierinthatrestaurantyouamthere。\"
Thegirlconsultedatinywatchsetinabraceletofrichdesignuponherleftwrist，androse，hurriedly。
Shethrustherbookintoaglitteringreticulesus—
pendedfromherwaist，forwhich，however，thebookwastoolarge。
\"Whyareyounotatwork？\"sheasked。
\"Iamonthenightturn，\"saidtheyoungman;
itisyetanhourbeforemyperiodbegins。MayI
nothopetoseeyouagain？\"
\"Idonotknow。Perhaps—butthewhimmaynotseizemeagain。Imustgoquicklynow。Thereisadinner，andaboxattheplay——and，oh！thesameoldround。Perhapsyounoticedanautomobileattheuppercorneroftheparkasyoucame。Onewithawhitebody\"Andredrunninggear？\"askedtheyoungman，knittinghisbrowsreflectively。
\"Yes。Ialwayscomeinthat。Pierrewaitsformethere。Hesupposesmetobeshoppinginthede—
partmentstoreacrossthesquare。Conceiveofthebondageofthelifewhereinwemustdeceiveevenourchauffeurs。Good—night。\"
\"Butitisdarknow，\"saidMr。Parkenstacker，\"andtheparkisfullofrudemen。MayInotwalk——\"
\"Ifyouhavetheslightestregardformywishes，\"
saidthegirl，firmly，\"youwillremainatthisbenchfortenminutesafterIhaveleft。Idonotmeantoaccuseyou，butyouareprobablyawarethatautosgenerallybearthemonogramoftheirowner。Again，good—night\"
Swiftandstatelyshemovedawaythroughthedusk。Theyoungmanwatchedhergracefulformasshereachedthepavementatthepark’sedge，andturnedupalongittowardthecornerwherestoodtheautomobile。Thenhetreacherouslyandunhesitat—
inglybegantododgeandskimamongtheparktreesandshrubberyinacourseparalleltoherroute，keep—
ingherwellinsightWhenshereachedthecornersheturnedherheadtoglanceatthemotorcar，andthenpassedit，continuingonacrossthestreet。Shelteredbehindacon—
venientstandingcab，theyoungmanfollowedhermovementscloselywithhiseyes。Passingdownthesidewalkofthestreetoppositethepark，sheenteredtherestaurantwiththeblazingsign。Theplacewasoneofthosefranklyglaringestablishments，allwhite，paintandglass，whereonemaydinecheaplyandconspicuously。Thegirlpenetratedtherestauranttosomeretreatatitsrear，whenceshequicklyemergedwithoutherbatandveil。
Thecashier’sdeskwaswelltothefront。Ared—
headgirlanthestoolclimbeddown，glancingpointedlyattheclockasshedidso。Thegirlingraymountedinherplace。
Theyoungmanthrusthishandsintohispocketsandwalkedslowlybackalongthesidewalk。Atthecornerhisfootstruckasmall，paper—coveredvolumelyingthere，sendingitslidingtotheedgeoftheturf。Byitspicturesquecoverherecognizeditasthebookthegirlhadbeenreading。Hepickeditupcarelessly，andsawthatitstitlewas\"NewArabianNights，\"theauthorbeingofthenameofStevenson。
Hedroppeditagainuponthegrass，andlounged，irresolute，foraminute。Thenhesteppedintotheautomobile，reclineduponthecushions，andsaidtwowordstothechauffeur：
\"Club，Henri。\"
ACOMEDYINRUBBER
Onemayhope，inspiteofthemetaphorists，toavoidthebreathofthedeadlyupastree;onemay，bygreatgoodfortune，succeedinblackingtheeyeofthebasilisk;onemightevendodgetheattentionsofCer—
berusandArgus，butnoman，aliveordead，canes—
capethegazeoftheRubberer。
NewYorkistheCaoutchoucCity。Therearemany，ofcourse，whogotheirways，makingmoney，withoutturningtotherightortheleft，butthereisatribeabroadwonderfullycomposed，liketheMartians，solelyofeyesandmeansoflocomotion。
Thesedevoteesofcuriosityswarm，likeflies，inamomentinastruggling，breathlesscircleaboutthesceneofanunusualoccurrence。Ifaworkmanopensamanhole，ifastreetcarrunsoveramanfromNorthTarrytown，ifalittleboydropsaneggonhiswayhomefromthegrocery，ifacasualhouseortwodropsintothesubway，ifaladylosesanickelthroughaholeinthelislethread，ifthepolicedragatelephoneandaracingchartforthfromanIbsenSocietyreading—room，ifSenatorDepeworMr。
ChuckConnorswalksouttotaketheair—ifanyoftheseincidentsoraccidentstakesplace，youwillseethemad，irresistiblerushofthe\"rubber\"tribetothespot。
Theimportanceoftheeventdoesnotcount。Theygazewithequalinterestandabsorptionatacho—
rusgirloratamanpaintingaliverpillsign。Theywillformasdeepacordonaroundamanwithaclub—
footastheywillaroundabalkedautomobile。Theyhavethefurorrubberendi。Theyareopticalglut—
tons，feastingandfatteningonthemisfortunesoftheirfellowbeings。Theygloatandporeandglareandsquintandstarewiththeirfishyeyeslikegoggle—
eyedperchatthebookbaitedwithcalamity。
ItwouldseemthatCupidwouldfindtheseocularvampirestoocoldgameforhiscalorificshafts，buthavewenotyettodiscoveranimmuneevenamongtheProtozoa？Yes，beautifulRomancedescendedupontwoofthistribe，andlovecameintotheirheartsastheycrowdedabouttheprostrateformofamanwhohadbeenrunoverbyabrewerywagon。
WilliamPrywasthefirstonthespot。Hewasanexpertatsuchgatherings。Withanexpressionofin—
tensehappinessonhisfeatures，bestoodoverthevic—
timoftheaccident，listeningtohisgroansasiftothesweetestmusic。WhenthecrowdofspectatorshadswelledtoacloselypackedcircleWilliamsawaviolentcommotioninthecrowdoppositehim。Menwerehurledasidelikeninepinsbytheimpactofsomemovingbodythatclovethemliketherushofator—
nado。Withelbows，umbrella，hat—pin，tongue，andfingernailsdoingtheirduty，VioletSeymourforcedherwaythroughthemobofonlookerstothefirstrow。
Strongmenwhoevenhadbeenabletosecureaseatonthe5。30Harlemexpressstaggeredbacklikechil—
drenasshebuckedcentre。TwolargeladyspectatorswhobadseentheDukeofRoxburghmarriedandhadoftenblockedtrafficonTwenty—thirdStreetfellbackintothesecondrowwithrippedshirtwaistswhenViolethadfinishedwiththem。WilliamPrylovedheratfirstsight。
TheambulanceremovedtheunconsciousagentofCupid。WilliamandVioletremainedafterthecrowdhaddispersed。TheyweretrueRubberers。Peoplewholeavethesceneofanaccidentwiththeambulancehavenotgenuinecaoutchoucinthecosmogonyoftheirnecks。Thedelicate，fineflavoroftheaffairistobebadonlyintheafter—taste—ingloatingoverthespot，ingazingfixedlyatthehousesopposite，inhoveringthereinadreammoreexquisitethantheopium—eater’secstasy。WilliamPryandVioletSey—
mourwereconnoisseursincasualties。Theyknewbowtoextractfullenjoymentfromeveryincident。
Presentlytheylookedateachother。Violethadabrownbirthmarkonherneckaslargeasasilverhalf—dollar。Williamfixedhiseyesuponit。WilliamPryhadinordinatelybowedlegs。Violetallowedhergazetolingerunswervinglyuponthem。Facetofacetheystoodthusformoments，eachstaringattheother。Etiquettewouldnotallowthemtospeak;butintheCaoutchoucCityitispermittedtogazewith—
outstintatthetreesintheparksandatthephysi—
calblemishesofafellowcreature。
Atlengthwithasightheyparted。ButCupidhadbeenthedriverofthebrewerywagon，andthewheelthatbrokealegunitedtwofondhearts。
ThenextmeetingoftheheroandheroinewasinfrontofaboardfencenearBroadway。Thedayhadbeenadisappointingone。Therehadbeennofightsonthestreet，childrenhadkeptfromunderthewheelsofthestreetcars，cripplesandfatmeninnegligeeshirtswerescarce;nobodyseemedtobeinclinedtosliponbananapeelsorfalldownwithheartdisease。
EventhesportfromKokomo，Ind。，whoclaimstobeacousinofex—MayorLowandscattersnickelsfromacabwindow，hadnotputinhisappearance。
Therewasnothingtostareat，andWilliamPryhadpremonitionsofennui。
Buthesawalargecrowdscramblingandpushingexcitedlyinfrontofabillboard。Sprintingforit，heknockeddownanoldwomanandachildcarryingabottleofmilk，andfoughthiswaylikeademonintothemassofspectators。AlreadyintheinnerlinestoodVioletSeymourwithonesleeveandtwogoldfill—
ingsgone，acorsetsteelpunctureandasprainedwrist，buthappy。Shewaslookingatwhattherewastosee。Amanwaspaintinguponthefence：
\"EatBricklets—TheyFillYourFace。\"
VioletblushedwhenshesawWilliamPry。Williamjabbedaladyinablacksilkraglanintheribs，kickedaboyintheshin，bitanoldgentlemanontheleftearandmanagedtocrowdnearertoViolet。Theystoodforanhourlookingatthemanpainttheletters。
ThenWilliam’slovecouldberepressednolonger。
Hetouchedheronthearm。
\"Comewithme，\"hesaid。\"IknowwherethereisabootblackwithoutanAdam’sapple。\"
Shelookedupathimshyly，yetwithunmistakablelovetransfiguringhercountenance。
\"Andyouhavesaveditforme？\"sheasked，tremblingwiththefirstdimecstasyofawomanbe—
loved。
Togethertheyhurriedtothebootblack’sstand。
Anhourtheyspenttheregazingatthemalformedyouth。
Awindow—cleanerfellfromthefifthstorytothesidewalkbesidethem。Astheambulancecameclang—
ingupWilliampressedherhandjoyously。\"Fourribsatleastandacompoundfracture，\"hewhispered，swiftly。\"Youarenotsorrythatyoumetme，areyou，dearest？
\"Me？\"saidViolet，returningthepressure。\"Surenot。Icouldstandalldayrubberingwithyou。\"
Theclimaxoftheromanceoccurredafewdayslater。PerhapsthereaderwillremembertheintenseexcitementintowhichthecitywasthrownwhenElizaJane，acoloredwoman，wasservedwithasubpoena。
TheRubberTribeencampedonthespot。WithhisownhandsWilliamPryplacedaboardupontwobeerkegsinthestreetoppositeElizaJane’sresidence。
HeandVioletsatthereforthreedaysandnights。
Thenitoccurredtoadetectivetoopenthedoorandservethesubpoena。Hesentforakinetoscopeanddidso。
Twosoulswithsuchcongenialtastescouldnotlongremainapart。Asapolicemandrovethemawaywithhisnightstickthateveningtheyplightedtheirtroth。
Theseedsoflovebadbeenwellsown，andhadgrownup，hardyandvigorous，intoa—letuscallitarub—
berplant。
TheweddingofWilliamPryandVioletSeymourwassetforJune10。TheBigChurchintheMiddleoftheBlockwasbankedhighwithflowers。ThepopuloustribeofRubbererstheworldoverisram—
pantoverweddings。Theyarethepessimistsofthepews。Theyaretheguyersofthegroomandthebanterersofthebride。Theycometolaughatyourmarriage，andshouldyouescapefromHymen’stoweronthebackofdeath’spalesteedtheywillcometothefuneralandsitinthesamepewandcryoveryourluck。Rubberwillstretch。
Thechurchwaslighted。Agrosgraincarpetlayovertheasphalttotheedgeofthesidewalk。Brides—
maidswerepattingoneanother’ssashesawryandspeakingoftheBride’sfreckles。Coachmentiedwhiteribbonsontheirwhipsandbewailedthespaceoftimebetweendrinks。Theministerwasmusingoverhispossiblefee，essayingconjecturewhetheritwouldsufficetopurchaseanewbroadclothsuitforhimselfandaphotographofLauraJaneLibbeyforhiswife。Yea，Cupidwasintheair。
Andoutsidethechurch，oh，mybrothers，surgedandheavedtherankandfileofthetribeofRubberers。
intwobodiestheywere，withthegrosgraincarpetandcopswithclubsbetween。Theycrowdedlikecattle，theyfought，theypressedandsurgedandswayedandtrampledoneanothertoseeabitofagirlinawhiteveilacquirelicensetogothroughaman’spocketswhilebesleeps。
Butthehourfortheweddingcameandwent，andthebrideandbridegroomcamenot。Andimpatiencegavewaytoalarmandalarmbroughtaboutsearch，andtheywerenotfound。Andthentwobigpolice—
mentookabandanddraggedoutofthefuriousmobofonlookersacrushedandtrampledthing，withaweddingringinitsvestpocketandashreddedandhystericalwomanbeatingherwaytothecarpet’sedge，ragged，bruisedandobstreperous。
WilliamPryandVioletSeymour，creaturesofhabit，hadjoinedintheseethinggameofthespecta—
tors，unabletoresisttheoverwhelmingdesiretogazeuponthemselvesentering，asbrideandbridegroom，therose—deckedchurch。
Rubberwillout。
ONETHOUSANDDOLLARS
\"Onethousanddollars，\"repeatedLawyerTolman，solemnlyandseverely，\"andhereisthemoney。\"
YoungGilliangaveadecidedlyamusedlaughashefingeredthethinpackageofnewfifty—dollarnotes。
\"It’ssuchaconfoundedlyawkwardamount，\"heexplained，genially，tothelawyer。\"Ifithadbeententhousandafellowmightwindupwithalotoffireworksanddohimselfcredit。Evenfiftydollarswouldhavebeenlesstrouble。\"
\"Youheardthereadingofyouruncle’swill，\"con—
tinuedLawyerTolman，professionallydryinhistones。\"Idonotknowifyoupaidmuchattentiontoitsdetails。Imustremindyouofone。Youarerequiredtorendertousanaccountofthemannerofexpenditureofthis$1，000assoonasyouhavedis—
posedofit。Thewillstipulatesthat。ItrustthatyouwillsofarcomplywiththelateMr。Gillian’swishes。\"
\"Youmaydependuponit，\"saidtheyoungman。%
politely，\"inspiteoftheextraexpenseitwillentail。
Imayhavetoengageasecretary。Iwasnevergoodataccounts。\"
Gillianwenttohisclub。TherebehuntedoutonewhomhecalledOldBryson。
OldBrysonwascalmandfortyandsequestered。
Hewasinacornerreadingabook，andwhenhesawGillianapproachinghesighed，laiddownhisbookandtookoffhisglasses。
\"OldBryson，wakeup，\"saidGillian。\"I’veafunnystorytotellyou。\"
\"Iwishyouwouldtellittosomeoneinthebilliardroom，\"saidOldBryson。\"YouknowhowIhateyourstories。\"
\"Thisisabetteronethanusual，\"saidGillian，rollingacigarette;\"andI’mgladtotellittoyou。
It’stoosadandfunnytogowiththerattlingofbilliardbars。I’vejustcomefrommylateuncle’sfirmoflegalcorsairs。Heleavesmeaneventhou—
sanddollars。Now，whatcanamanpossiblydowithathousanddollars？\"
\"Ithought，\"saidOldBryson，showingasmuchinterestasabeeshowsinavinegarcruet，\"thatthelateSeptimusGillianwasworthsomethinglikehalfamillion。\"
\"Hewas，\"assentedGillian，joyously，\"andthat’swherethejokecomesin。He’slefthiswholecargoofdoubloonstoamicrobe。Thatis，partofitgoestothemanwhoinventsanewbacillusandtheresttoes—
tablishahospitalfordoingawaywithitagain。
Thereareoneortwotriflingbequestsontheside。
—thebutlerandthehousekeepergetasealringand$10each。Hisnephewgets$1，000。\"
\"You’vealwayshadplentyofmoneytospend，\"
observedOldBryson。
\"Tons，\"saidGillian。\"Unclewasthefairygod—
motherasfarasanallowancewasconcerned。\"
\"Anyotherheirs？\"askedOldBryson。
\"None。\"Gillianfrownedathiscigaretteandkickedtheupholsteredleatherofadivanuneasily。
ThereisaMissHayden，awardofmyuncle，wholivedinhishouse。She’saquietthing—musical—
thedaughterofsomebodywhowasunluckyenoughtobehisfriend。Iforgottosaythatshewasinonthesealringand$10joke，too。IwishIhadbeen。
ThenIcouldhavehadtwobottlesofbrut，tippedthewaiterwiththeringandhadthewholebusinessoffmybands。Don’tbesuperiorandinsulting，OldBry—
son—tellmewhatafellowcandowithathousanddollars。\"
OldBrysonrubbedhisglassesandsmiled。AndwhenOldBrysonsmiled，Gillianknewthatbein—
tendedtobemoreoffensivethanever。
\"Athousanddollars，\"liesaid，\"meansmuchorlittle。OnemanmaybuyahappyhomewithitandlaughatRockefeller。AnothercouldsendhiswifeSouthwithitandsaveherlife。AthousanddollarswouldbuypuremilkforonehundredbabiesduringJune，July，andAugustandsavefiftyoftheirlives。
Youcouldcountuponahalfhour’sdiversionwithitatfaroinoneofthefortifiedartgalleries。Itwouldfurnishaneducationtoanambitiousboy。IamtoldthatagenuineCorotwassecuredforthatamountinanauctionroomyesterday。YoucouldmovetoaNewHampshiretownandliverespectablytwoyearsonit。YoucouldrentMadisonSquareGardenforoneeveningwithit，andlectureyouraudience，ifyoushouldhaveone，ontheprecariousnessofthepro—
fessionofheirpresumptive。\"
\"Peoplemightlikeyou，OldBryson，\"saidGillian，alwaysunruffled，\"ifyouwouldn’tmoralize。IaskedyoutotellmewhatIcoulddowithathousanddollars。\"
\"You？\"saidBryson，withagentlelaugh。
\"Why，BobbyGillian，there’sonlyonelogicalthingyoucoulddo。YoucangobuyMissLottaLauriereadiamondpendantwiththemoney，andthentakeyourselfofftoIdahoandinflict，yourpresenceuponaranch。Iadviseasheepranch，asIhaveaparticulardislikeforsheep。\"
\"Thanks，\"saidGillian，rising，\"IthoughtI
coulddependuponyou，OldBryson。You’vehitontheveryscheme。Iwantedtochuckthemoneyinalump，forI’vegottoturninanaccountforit，andIhateitemizing。\"
Gillianphonedforacabandsaidtothedriver：
\"ThestageentranceoftheColumbineTheatre。\"—
MissLottaLaurierewasassistingnaturewithapowderpuff，almostreadyforhercallatacrowdedMatinee，whenherdressermentionedthenameofMr。
Gillian。
\"Letitin，\"saidMissLauriere。\"Now，whatisit，Bobby？I’mgoingonintwominutes。\"
\"Rabbit—footyourrightearalittle，\"suggestedGillian，critically。\"That’sbetter。Itwon’ttaketwominutesforme。Whatdoyousaytoalittlethinginthependantline？Icanstandthreecipherswithafigureoneinfrontof’em。\"
\"Oh，justasyousay，\"carolledMissLauriere。
myrightglove，Adams。Say，Bobby，didyouseethatnecklaceDellaStaceyhadontheothernight？
Twenty—twohundreddollarsitcostatTiffany’s。
But，ofcourse—pullmysashalittletotheleft，Adams。\"
\"MissLaurierefortheopeningchorus！\"criedthecallboywithout。
Gillianstrolledouttowherehiscabwaswaiting。
\"Whatwouldyoudowithathousanddollarsifyouhadit？\"beaskedthedriver。