Aftercastinguponhimlooksofunseeingcoldnessforadozentimes，oneafternoonshesuddenlythawedandpoureddownuponhimasmilethatputtoshamethesweetsuponhiscart。
\"Candyman，\"shesaid，cooingly，whileSidoniefollowedherimpulsivedive，brushingtheheavyauburnhair，\"don’tyouthinkIambeautiful？
Thecandymanlaughedharshly，andlookedup，withhisthinjawset，whilehewipedhisforeheadwithared—and—bluehandkerchief\"Yer’dmakeadandymagazinecover，\"hesaid，grudgingly。\"Beautifulornotisforthemthatcares。It’snotmyline。Ifyerlookin’forbou—
quetsapplyelsewherebetweennineandtwelve。I
thinkwe’llhaverain。\"
Truly，fascinatingacandymanislikekillingrab—
bitsinadeepsnow;butthehunter’sbloodiswidelydiffused。MademoiselletuggedagreatcoilofhairfromSidonie’sbandsandletitfalloutthewindow。
\"Candyman，haveyouasweetheartanywherewithhairaslongandsoftasthat？Andwithanarmsoround？\"SheflexedanarmlikeGalatea’safterthemiracleacrossthewindow—sill。
Thecandymancackledshrillyashearrangedastockofbutter—scotchthathadtumbleddown。
\"Smokeup！\"saidhe，vulgarly。\"Nothin’doin’
inthecomplimentaryline。I’mtoowisetobebam—
boozledbyaswitchofhairandanewlymassagedarm。Oh，Iguessyou’llmakegoodinthecalcium，allright，withplentyofpowderandpaintonandtheorchestraplaying\"UndertheOldAppleTree。\"
Butdon’tputonyourhatandchasedownstairstoflytotheLittleChurchAroundtheCornerwithme。
I’vebeenupagainstperoxideandmake—upboxesbe—
fore。Say，alljokingaside——don’tyouthinkwe’llhaverain？\"
\"Candyman，\"saidMademoisellesoftly，withherlipscurvingandherchindimpling，\"don’tyouthinkI’mpretty？\"
Thecandymangrinned。
\"Savin’money，ain’tyer？\"saidbe，\"bybein’yerownpressagent。Ismoke，butIhaven’tseenyermugonanyofthefive—centcigarboxes。It’dtakeanewbrandofwomantogetmegoin’，anyway。I
know’emfromsidecombstoshoelaces。Gimmeagoodday’ssalesandsteak—and—onionsatsevenandapipeandanevenin’paperbackthereinthecourt，andI’llnottroubleLillianRussellherselftowinkatme，ifyouplease。\"
Mademoisellepouted。
\"Candyman，\"shesaid，softlyanddeeply，\"yetyoushallsaythatIambeautiful。Allmensaysoandsoshallyou。\"
Thecandymanlaughedandpulledouthispipe。
\"Well，\"saidbe，\"Imustbegoin’in。Thereisastoryintheevenin’paperthatIamreadin’。Menaredivin’intheseasforatreasure，andpiratesarewatchin’themfrombehindareef。Andthereain’tawomanonlandorwaterorintheair。Good—
evenin’。\"Andhetrundledhispushcartdownthealleyandbacktothemustycourtwherehelived。
Incrediblytohimwhohasnotlearnedwoman，Mademoisellesatatthewindoweachdayandspreadhernetsfortheignominiousgame。Onceshekeptagrandcavalierwaitinginherreceptionchamberforhalfanhourwhileshebatteredinvainthecandyman’stoughphilosophy。Hisroughlaughchafedhervanitytoitscore。Dailyhesatonhiscartinthebreezeofthealleywhileherhairwasbeingministeredto，anddailytheshaftsofherbeautyreboundedfromhisdullbosompointlessandineffectual。Un—
worthypiquebrightenedhereyes。Pride—hurtshegloweduponhiminawaythatwouldhavesentherhigheradorersintoanegoisticparadise。Thecandyman’shardeyeslookeduponherwithahalf—con—
cealedderisionthaturgedhertotheuseofthesharp—
estarrowinherbeauty’squiver。
Oneafternoonsheleanedfaroverthesill，andshedidnotchallengeandtormenthimasusual。
\"Candyman，\"saidshe，\"standupandlookintomyeyes。\"
Hestoodupandlookedintohereyes，withhisharshlaughlikethesawingofwood。Hetookouthispipe，fumbledwithit，andputitbackintobigpocketwithatremblingband。
\"Thatwilldo，\"saidMademoiselle，withaslowsmile。\"Imustgonowtomymasseuse。Good—
evening。\"
Thenexteveningatseventhecandymancameandrestedhiscartunderthewindow。Butwasitthecandyman？Hisclotheswereabrightnewcheck。
Hisnecktiewasaflamingred，adornedbyaglit—
teringhorseshoepin，almostlife—size。Hisshoeswerepolished;thetanofhischeekshadpaled——hishandshadbeenwashed。Thewindowwasempty，andhewaitedunderitwithhisnoseupward，likeahoundhopingforabone。
Mademoisellecame，withSidoniecarryingherloadofhair。Shelookedatthecandymanandsmiledaslowsmilethatfadedawayintoennui。Instantlysheknewthatthegamewasbagged;andsoquicklysheweariedofthechase。ShebegantotalktoSidonie。
\"Beenafineday，\"saidthecandyman，hollowly。
\"FirsttimeinamonthI’vefeltfirst—class。HititupdownoldMadison，holleringoutlikeIuseter。
Thinkit’llrainto—morrow？\"
Mademoisellelaidtworoundarmsonthecushiononthewindow—sill，andadimpledchinuponthem。
\"Candyman，\"saidshe，softly，\"doyounotloveme？\"
Thecandymanstoodupandleanedagainstthebrickwall。
\"Lady，\"saidbe，chokingly，\"I’vegot$800savedup。DidIsayyouwasn’tbeautiful？Takeiteverybitofitandbuyacollarforyourdogwithit。\"
AsoundasofahundredsilverybellstinkledintheroomofMademoiselle。Thelaughterfilledthealleyandtrickledbackintothecourt，asstrangeathingtoenterthereassunlightitself。Mademoisellewasamused。Sidonie，awiseecho，addedasepulchralbutfaithfulcontralto。Thelaughterofthetwoseemedatlasttopenetratethecandyman。Hefumbledwithhishorseshoepin。AtlengthMademoiselle，ex—
hausted，turnedherflushed，beautifulfacetothewin—
dow。
\"Candyman，\"saidshe，\"goaway。WhenI
laughSidoniepullsmyhair。Icanbutlaughwhileyouremainthere。\"
\"HereisanoteforMademoiselle，\"saidFe1ice，comingtothewindowintheroom。
\"Thereisnojustice，\"saidthecandyman，lift—
ingthehandleofhiscartandmovingaway。
Threeyardshemoved，andstopped。LoudshriekaftershriekcamefromthewindowofMademoiselle。
Quicklyheranback。Heheardabodythumpinguponthefloorandasoundasthoughheelsbeatalter—
natelyuponit。
\"Whatisit？\"becalled。
Sidonie’ssevereheadcameintothewindow。
\"Mademoiselleisovercomebybadnews，\"shesaid。
\"Onewhomshelovedwithallhersoulhasgone——
youmayhavebeardofhim——heisMonsieurIves。
Hesailsacrosstheoceanto—morrow。Oh，youmen！\"
SQUARINGTHECIRCLE
Atthehazardofwearyingyouthistaleofvehe—
mentemotionsmustbeprefacedbyadiscourseongeometry。
Naturemovesincircles;Artinstraightlines。
Thenaturalisrounded;theartificialismadeupofangles。Amanlostinthesnowwanders，inspiteofhimself，inperfectcircles;thecityman’sfeet，denaturalizedbyrectangularstreetsandfloors，carryhimeverawayfromhimself。
Theroundeyesofchildhoodtypifyinnocence;
thenarrowedlineoftheflirt’sopticprovesthein—
vasionofart。Thehorizontalmouthisthemarkofdeterminedcunning;whohasnotreadNature’smostspontaneouslyricinlipsroundedforthecandidkiss？
BeautyisNatureinperfection;circularityisitschiefattribute。Beholdthefullmoon，theenchant—
inggolfball，thedomesofsplendidtemples，thehuckleberrypie，theweddingring，thecircusring，theringforthewaiter，andthe\"round\"ofdrinks。
Ontheotherhand，straightlinesshowthatNa—
turehasbeendeflected。ImagineVenus’sgirdletransformedintoa\"straightfront\"！
Whenwebegintomoveinstraightlinesandturnsharpcornersournaturesbegintochange。TheconsequenceisthatNature，beingmoreadaptivethanArt，triestoconformtoitssternerregulations。Theresultisoftenarathercuriousproduct——forin—
stance：Aprizechrysanthemum，woodalcoholwhis—
key，aRepublicanMissouri，caulifloweraugratin，andaNewYorker，Natureislostquickestinabigcity。Thecauseisgeometrical，notmoral。Thestraightlinesofitsstreetsandarchitecture，therectangularityofitslawsandsocialcustoms，theundeviatingpavements，thehard，severe，depressing，uncompromisingrulesofallitsways——evenofitsrecreationandsports——
coldlyexhibitasneeringdefianceofthecurvedlineofNature。
Wherefore，itmaybesaidthatthebigcityhasdemonstratedtheproblemofsquaringthecircle。
Anditmaybeaddedthatthismathematicalintro—
ductionprecedesanaccountofthefateofaKentuckyfeudthatwasimportedtothecitythathasahabitofmakingitsimportationsconformtoitsangles。
ThefeudbeganintheCumberlandMountainsbe—
tweentheFolwellandtheHarknessfamilies。Thefirstvictimofthehomespunvendettawasa’possumdogbelongingtoBillHarkness。TheHarknessfamilyevenedupthisdirelossbylayingoutthechiefoftheFolwellclan。TheFolwellswerepromptatrepartee。TheyoileduptheirsquirrelriflesandmadeitfeasibleforBillHarknesstofollowhisdogtoalandwherethe’possumscomedownwhentreedwithoutthestrokeofanax。
Thefeudflourishedforfortyyears。Harknesseswereshotattheplough，throughtheirlamp—litcabinwindows，comingfromcamp—meeting，asleep，induello，soberandotherwise，singlyandinfamilygroups，preparedandunprepared。Folwellshadthebranchesoftheirfamilytreeloppedoffinsimilarways，asthetraditionsoftheircountryprescribedandauthorized。
Byandbythepruningleftbutasinglememberofeachfamily。AndthenCalHarkness，probablyreasoningthatfurtherpursuanceofthecontroversywouldgiveatoodecidedpersonalflavortothefeud，suddenlydisappearedfromtherelievedCumberlands，baulkingtheavenginghandofSam，theultimateop—
posingFolwell。
AyearafterwardSamFolwelllearnedthathishereditary，unsuppressedenemywaslivinginNewYorkCity。Samturnedoverthebigironwash—potintheyard，scrapedoffsomeofthesoot，whichhemixedwithlardandshinedhisbootswiththecom—
pound。Heputonhisstoreclothesofbutternutdyedblack，awhiteshirtandcollar，andpackedacarpet—sackwithSpartanlingerie。Hetookhissquirrelriflefromitshooks，butputitbackagainwithasigh。HoweverethicalandplausiblethehabitmightbeintheCumberlands，perhapsNewYorkwouldnotswallowhisposeofhuntingsquirrelsamongtheskyscrapersalongBroadway。AnancientbutreliableColt’srevolverthatheresurrectedfromabureaudrawerseemedtoproclaimitselfthepinkofweaponsformetropolitanadventureandvengeance。
Thisandahunting—knifeinaleathersheath，Sampackedinthecarpet—sack。Ashestarted，Muleback，forthelowlandrailroadstationthelastFolwellturnedinhissaddleandlookedgrimlyatthelittleclusterofwhite—pineslabsintheclumpofcedarsthatmarkedtheFolwellburying—ground。
SamFolwellarrivedinNewYorkinthenight。
Stillmovingandlivinginthefreecirclesofnature，hedidnotperceivetheformidable，pitiless，restless，fierceanglesofthegreatcitywaitinginthedarktocloseabouttherotundityofhisheartandbrainandmouldhimtotheformofitsmillionsofre—shapedvictims。Acabbypickedhimoutofthewhirl，asSamhimselfhadoftenpickedanutfromabedofwind—tossedautumnleaves，andwhiskedhimawaytoahotelcommensuratetohisbootsandcarpet—
sack。
OnthenextmorningthelastoftheFolwellsmadehissortieintothecitythatshelteredthelastHark—
ness。TheColtwasthrustbeneathhiscoatandse—
curedbyanarrowleatherbelt;thehunting—knifehungbetweenhisshoulder—blades，withthehaftaninchbelowhiscoatcollar。Heknewthismuch——
thatCalHarknessdroveanexpresswagonsome—
whereinthattown，andthathe，SamFolwell，hadcometokillhim。Andashesteppedupontheside—
walktheredcameintohiseyeandthefeud—hateintohisheart。
Theclamorofthecentralavenuesdrewhimthith—
erward。HehadhalfexpectedtoseeCalcomingdownthestreetinhisshirt—sleeves，withajugandawhipinhishand，justashewouldhaveseenhiminFrankfortorLaurelCity。ButanhourwentbyandCaldidnotappear。Perhapshewaswaitinginambush，toshoothimfromadoororawindow。Samkeptasharpeyeondoorsandwindowsforawhile。
Aboutnoonthecitytiredofplayingwithitsmouseandsuddenlysqueezedhimwithitsstraightlines。
SamFolwellstoodwheretwogreat，rectangulararteriesofthecitycross。Helookedfourways，andsawtheworldburledfromitsorbitandreducedbyspiritlevelandtapetoanedgedandcorneredplane。Alllifemovedontracks，ingrooves，accord—
ingtosystem，withinboundaries，byrote。Therootoflifewasthecuberoot;themeasureofexistencewassquaremeasure。Peoplestreamedbyinstraightrows;thehorribledinandcrashstupefiedhim。
Samleanedagainstthesharpcornerofastonebuilding。Thosefacespassedhimbythousands，andnoneofthemwereturnedtowardhim。Asuddenfool—
ishfearthathehaddiedandwasaspirit，andthattheycouldnotseehim，seizedhim。Andthenthecitysmotehimwithloneliness。
Afatmandroppedoutofthestreamandstoodafewfeetdistant，waitingforhiscar。Samcrepttohissideandshoutedabovethetumultintohisear：
\"TheRankinses’hogsweighedmore’nournawholepassel，butthemastintharneighborhoodwasafinechancebetterthanwhatitwasdown——\"
Thefatmanmovedawayunostentatiously，andboughtroastedchestnutstocoverhisalarm。
Samfelttheneedofadropofmountaindew。
Acrossthestreetmenpassedinandoutthroughswingingdoors。Briefglimpsescouldbehadofaglisteningbaranditsbedeckings。Thefeudistcrossedandessayedtoenter。AgainhadArteliminatedthefamiliarcircle。Sam’shandfoundnodoor—knob—
itslid，invain，overarectangularbrassplateandpolishedoakwithnothingevensolargeasapin’sheaduponwhichhisfingersmightclose。
Abashed，reddened，heartbroken，hewalkedawayfromthebootlessdoorandsatuponastep。Alocustclubtickledhimintheribs。
\"Takeawalkforyourself，\"saidthepoliceman。
You’vebeenloafingaroundherelongenough。\"
AtthenextcornerashrillwhistlesoundedinSam’sear。Hewheeledaroundandsawablack—browedvil—
lainscowlingathimoverpeanutsheapedonasteam—
ingmachine。Hestartedacrossthestreet。Anim—
menseengine，runningwithoutmules，withthevoiceofabullandthesmellofasmokylamp，whizzedpast，grazinghisknee。Acab—driverbumpedhimwithahubandexplainedtohimthatkindwordswerein—
ventedtobeusedonotheroccasions。Amotormanclangedhisbellwildlyand，foronceinhislife，cor—
roboratedacab—driver。Alargeladyinachangeablesilkwaistduganelbowintohisback，andanewsypensivelypeltedhimwithbananarinds，murmuring，\"Ihatestodoit——butifanybodyseenmeletitpass！\"
CalHarkness，hisday’sworkoverandhisexpresswagonstabled，turnedthesharpedgeofthebuild—
ingthat，bythecheekofarchitects，ismodelleduponasafetyrazor。Outofthemassofhurryingpeoplehiseyepickedup，threeyardsaway，thesurvivingbloodyandimplacablefoeofhiskithandkin。
Hestoppedshortandwaveredforamoment，be—
ingunarmedandsharplysurprised。Butthekeenmountaineer’seyeofSamFolwellhadpickedhimout。
Therewasasuddenspring，arippleinthestreamofpassersbyandthesoundofSam’svoicecrying：
\"Howdy，Cal！I’mdurnedgladtoseeye。\"
AndintheanglesofBroadway，FifthAvenueandTwenty—thirdStreettheCumberlandfeudistsshookhands。
ROSES，RUSESANDROMANCE
Ravenel——Ravenel，thetraveller，artistandpoet，threwhismagazinetothefloor。SammyBrown，broker’sclerk，whosatbythewindow，jumped。
\"Whatisit，Ravvy？\"heasked。\"Thecriticsbeenhammeringyourstockdown？\"
\"Romanceisdead，\"saidRavenel，lightly。WhenRavenelspokelightlybewasgenerallyserious。Hepickedupthemagazineandfluttereditsleaves。
\"EvenaPhilistine，likeyou，Sammy，\"saidRave—
nel，seriously（atonethatinsuredhimtobespeak—
inglightly），\"oughttounderstand。Now，hereisamagazinethatonceprintedPoeandLowellandWhitmanandBretHarteandDuMaurierandLanierand——well，thatgivesyoutheidea。Thecurrentnumberhasthisliteraryfeasttosetbeforeyou：anarticleonthestokersandcoalbunkersofbattleships，anexposeofthemethodsemployedinmakingliver—
wurst，acontinuedstoryofaStandardPreferredInternationalBakingPowderdealinWallStreet，a’poem’onthebearthatthePresidentmissed，an—
other’story’byayoungwomanwhospentaweekasaspymakingoverallsontheEastSide，another’fiction’storythatreeksofthe’garage’andacer—
tainmakeofautomobile。Ofcourse，thetitlecontainsthewords’Cupid’and’Chauffeur’——anarticleonnavalstrategy，illustratedwithcutsoftheSpanishArmada，andthenewStatenIslandferry—boats;an—
otherstoryofapoliticalbosswhowontheloveofaFifthAvenuebellebyblackeninghereyeandrefusingtovoteforaniniquitousordinance（itdoesn’tsaywhetheritwasintheStreet—CleaningDepartmentorCongress），andnineteenpagesbytheeditorsbrag—
gingaboutthecirculation。Thewholething，Sammy，isanobituaryonRomance。\"
SammyBrownsatcomfortablyintheleatherarm—
chairbytheopenwindow。Hissuitwasavehementbrownwithvisiblechecks，beautifullymatchedinshadebytheendsoffourcigarsthathisvestpocketpoorlyconcealed。Lighttanwerehisshoes，grayhissocks，sky—bluehisapparentlinen，snowyandhighandadamantinehiscollar，againstwhichablackbut—
terflyhadalightedandspreadhiswings。Sammy’sface——leastimportant——wasroundandpleasantandpinkish，andinhiseyesyousawnohavenforfleeingRomance。
ThatwindowofRavenel’sapartmentopeneduponanoldgardenfullofancienttreesandshrubbery。
Theapartment—housetoweredaboveonesideofit;
ahighbrickwallfendeditfromthestreet;oppo—
siteRavenel’swindowanold，oldmansionstood，half—
hiddenintheshadeofthesummerfoliage。Thehousewasacastlebesieged。Thecityhowledandroaredandshriekedandbeatuponitsdoubledoors，andshookwhite，flutteringchecksabovethewall，offeringtermsofsurrender。Thegraydustsettleduponthetrees;thesiegewaspressedhotter，butthedraw—
bridgewasnotlowered。Nofurtherwillthelanguageofchivalryserve。Insidelivedanoldgentlemanwholovedhishomeanddidnotwishtosellit。Thatisalltheromanceofthebesiegedcastle。
ThreeorfourtimeseveryweekcameSammyBrowntoRavenel’sapartment。Hebelongedtothepoet’sclub，fortheformerBrownshadbeencon—
spicuous，thoughSammybadbeenvulgarizedbyBusiness。HehadnotearsfordepartedRomance。
Thesongofthetickerwastheonethatreachedhisheart，andwhenitcametomattersequineandbattingscoreshewassomethingofapinkedition。
HelovedtositintheleatherarmchairbyRavenel’swindow。AndRaveneldidn’tmindparticularly。
Sammyseemedtoenjoyhistalk;andthenthebroker’sclerkwassuchaperfectembodimentofmodernityandtheday’ssordidpracticalitythatRavenelratherlikedtousehimasascapegoat。
\"I’lltellyouwhat’sthematterwithyou，\"saidSammy，withtheshrewdnessthatbusinesshadtaughthim。\"Themagazinehasturneddownsomeofyourpoetrystunts。That’swhyyouaresoreatit。\"
\"ThatwouldbeagoodguessinWallStreetorinacampaignforthepresidencyofawoman’sclub，\"
saidRavenel，quietly。\"Now，thereisapoem—ifyouwillallowmetocallitthat—ofmyowninthisnumberofthemagazine。\"
\"Readittome，\"saidSammy，watchingacloudofpipe—smokebehadjustblownoutthewindow。
RavenelwasnogreaterthanAchilles。Nooneis。
Thereisboundtobeaspot。TheSomebody—or—OthermusttakeboldofussomewherewhenshedipsusintheSomething—or—Otherthatmakesusinvulnerable。
Hereadaloudthisverseinthemagazine：
THEFOURROSES
’OneroseItwinedwithinyourhair——
（Whiterose，thatspakeofworth）;
Andoneyouplaceduponyourbreast——
（Redrose，love’ssealofbirth）。
Youpluckedanotherfromitsstem——
（Tearose，thatmeansforaye）;
Andoneyougave——thatboreformeThethornsofmemory。\"
\"That’sacrackerjack，\"saidSammy，admiringly。
Therearefivemoreverses，\"saidRavenel，pa—
tientlysardonic。\"Onenaturallypausesattheendofeach。Ofcourse——\"
\"Oh，let’shavetherest，oldman，\"shoutedSammy，contritely，\"Ididn’tmeantocutyouoff。I’mnotmuchofapoetryexpert，youknow。Ineversawapoemthatdidn’tlooklikeitoughttohaveterminalfacilitiesattheendofeveryverse。Reelofftherestofit。\"
Ravenelsighed，andlaidthemagazinedown。\"Allright，\"saidSammy，cheerfully，\"we’llhaveitnexttime。I’llbeoffnow。Gotadateatfiveo’clock。\"
Hetookalastlookattheshadedgreengardenandleft，whistlinginanoffkeyanuntunefulairfromarooflessfarcecomedy。
ThenextafternoonRavenel，whilepolishingaraggedlineofanewsonnet，reclinedbythewindowoverlookingthebesiegedgardenoftheunmercenarybaron。Suddenlyhesatup，spillingtworhymesandasyllableortwo。，Throughthetreesonewindowoftheoldmansioncouldbeseenclearly。Initswindow，drapedinflow—
ingwhite，leanedtheangelofallhisdreamsofro—
manceandpoesy。Young，freshasadropofdew，gracefulasasprayofclematis，conferringuponthegardenhemmedinbytheroaringtraffictheairofaprincess’sbower，beautifulasanyflowersungbypoet——thusRavenelsawherforthefirsttime。
Shelingeredforawhile，andthendisappearedwithin，leavingafewnotesofabirdlikerippleofsongtoreachhisentrancedearsthroughtherattleofcabsandthesnarlingoftheelectriccars。
Thus，asiftochallengethepoet’sflauntatro—
manceandtopunishhimforhisrecreancytotheundyingspiritofyouthandbeauty，thisvisionbaddawneduponhimwithathrillingandaccusivepower。
AndsometabolicwasthepowerthatinaninstanttheatomsofRavenel’sentireworldwereredistrib—
uted。Theladendraysthatpassedthehouseinwhichshelivedrumbledadeepdouble—basstothetuneoflove。Thenewsboys’shoutswerethenotesofsingingbirds;thatgardenwasthepleasanceoftheCapulets;
thejanitorwasanogre;himselfaknight，readywithsword，lanceorlute。
Thusdoesromanceshowherselfamidforestsofbrickandstonewhenshegetslostinthecity，andtherehastobesentoutageneralalarmtofindheragain。
AtfourintheafternoonRavenellookedoutacrossthegarden。Inthewindowofhishopesweresetfoursmallvases，eachcontainingagreat，full—blownrose—redandwhite。And，ashegazed，sheleanedabovethem，shamingthemwithherlovelinessandseemingtodirecthereyespensivelytowardhisownwindow。Andthen，asthoughshehadcaughthisrespectfulbutardentregard，shemeltedaway，leavingthefragrantemblemsonthewindow—sill。
\"Yes，emblems！——hewouldbeunworthyifbehadnotunderstood。Shehadreadhispoem，\"TheFourRoses\";ithadreachedherheart;andthiswasitsromanticanswer。OfcourseshemustknowthatRavenel，thepoet，livedthereacrosshergarden。Hispicture，too，shemusthaveseeninthemagazines。
Thedelicate，tender，modest，flatteringmessagecouldnotbeignored。
Ravenelnoticedbesidetherosesasmallflowering—
potcontainingaplant。Withoutshamebebroughthisopera—glassesandemployedthemfromthecoverofhiswindow—curtain。Anutmeggeranium！
Withthetruepoeticinstinctbedraggedabookofuselessinformationfromhisshelves，andtoreopentheleavesat\"TheLanguageofFlowers。\"
\"Geranium，Nutmeg—Iexpectameeting。\"
So！Romanceneverdoesthingsbyhalves。Ifshecomesbacktoyoushebringsgiftsandherknitting，andwillsitinyourchimney—cornerifyouwilllether。
AndnowRavenelsmiled。Theloversmileswhenbethinkshehaswon。Thewomanwholovesceasestosmilewithvictory。Heendsabattle;shebeginshers。Whataprettyideatosetthefourrosesinherwindowforhimtosee！Shemusthaveasweet，poeticsoul。Andnowtocontrivethemeeting。
AwhistlingandslammingofdoorspreludedthecomingofSammyBrown。
Ravenelsmiledagain。EvenSammyBrownwasshoneuponbythefar—flungraysoftherenaissance。
Sammy，withhisultraclothes，hishorseshoepin，hisplumpface，histriteslang，hisuncomprehendingadmirationofRavenel——thebroker’sclerkmadeanexcellentfoiltothenew，brightunseenvisitortothepoet’ssombreapartment。
Sammywenttohisoldseatbythewindow，andlookedoutoverthedustygreenfoliageinthegarden。Thenhelookedathiswatch，androsehastily。
\"Bygrabs！\"heexclaimed。\"Twentyafterfour！
Ican’tstay，oldman;I’vegotadateat4：30。\"
\"Whydidyoucome，then？\"askedRavenel，withsarcasticjocularity，\"ifyouhadanengagementatthattime。Ithoughtyoubusinessmenkeptbetteraccountofyourminutesandsecondsthanthat。\"
Sammyhesitatedinthedoorwayandturnedpinker。
\"Factis，Ravvy，\"beexplained，astoacustomerwhosemarginisexhausted，\"Ididn’tknowIhadittillIcame。I’lltellyou，oldman—there’sadandygirlinthatoldhousenextdoorthatI’mdeadgoneon。Iputitstraight——we’reengaged。Theoldmansays’nit’butthatdon’tgo。Hekeepsherprettyclose。IcanseeEdith’swindowfromyourshere。Shegivesmeatipwhenshe’sgoingshopping，andImeether。It’s4：30to—day。MaybeIoughttohaveexplainedsooner，butIknowit’sallrightwithyou——solong。\"
\"Howdoyougetyour’tip，’asyoucallit？\"askedRavenel，losingalittlespontaneityfromhissmile。
\"Roses，\"saidSammy，briefly。Fourof’emto—
day。Meansfouro’clockatthecornerofBroadwayandTwenty—third。\"
\"Butthegeranium？\"persistedRavenel，clutch—
ingattheendofflyingRomance’strailingrobe。
\"Meanshalf—past5，\"shoutedSammyfromthehall。
\"Seeyouto—morrow。\"
THECITYOFDREADFULNIGHT
\"Duringtherecentwarmed—overspell，\"saidmyfriendCarney，driverofexpresswagonNo。8，606，\"agoodmanyopportunitieswashadofobservinghumannaturethroughpeekaboowaists。
\"TheParkCommissionerandtheCommissionerofPolisandtheForestryCommissiongetstogetherandagreestoletthepeoplesleepintheparksuntiltheWeatherBureaugetsthethermometerdownagaintoalivingbasis。Sotheydrawsupopen—airresolu—
tionsandhasthem0。K。’dbytheSecretaryofAgri—
culture，Mr。ComstockandtheVillageImprovementMosquitoExterminatingSocietyofSouthOrange，N。J。
\"Whentheproclamationwasmadeopeninguptothepeoplebyspecialgrantthepublicparksthatbe—
longto’em，therewasageneralexodusintoCentralParkbythecommunitiesexistingalongitsborders。
Intenminutesaftersundownyou’dhavethoughtthattherewasanundressrehearsalofapotatofamineinIrelandandaKishineffmassacre。Theycomebyfamilies，gangs，clambakesocieties，clans，clubsandtribesfromallsidestoenjoyacoolsleeponthegrass。Themthatdidn’thaveoilstovesbroughtalongplentyofblankets，soasnottobeupsetwiththecoldanddiscomfortsofsleepingoutdoors。Bybuildingfiresoftheshadetreesandhuddlingtogetherinthebridlepaths，andburrowingunderthegrasswherethegroundwassoftenough，thelikesof5，000
headofpeoplesuccessfullybattledagainstthenightairinCentralParkalone。
\"YeknowIliveintheelegantfurnishedapart—
menthousecalledtheBeershebaFlats，overagainsttheelevatedportionoftheNewYorkCentralRail—
road。
\"Whentheordercometotheflatsthatallhandsmustturnoutandsleepinthepark，accordingtotheinstructionsoftheconsultingcommitteeoftheCityClubandtheMurphyDraying，ReturfingandSod—
dingCompany，therewasalookofacoupleoffiresandanevictionallovertheplace。
\"Thetenantsbegantopackupfeatherbeds，rub—
berboots，stringsofgarlic，hot—waterbags，porta—
blecanoesandscuttlesofcoaltotakealongforthesakeofcomfort。ThesidewalklookedlikeaRussiancampinOyama’slineofmareb。TherewaswaitingandlamentingupanddownstairsfromDannyGeog—
hegan’sflatonthetopfloortotheapartmentsofMissisGoldsteinupskionthefirst。
\"’Forwhy，\"saysDanny，comingdownandraginginhisblueyarnsockstothejanitor，’shouldIbeturnedoutofmecomfortableapartmentstolayinthedirtygrasslikearabbit？’TislikeJerometostiruptroublewidsmallmatterslikethisinsteadof——\"
\"’Whist！’saysOfficerReaganonthesidewalk，rappingwithhisclub。’’TisnotJerome。’TisbyorderofthePolisCommissioner。Turnouteveryoneofyezandhikeyerselvestothepark。’
\"Now，’twasapeacefulandhappyhomethatallofushadinthemsameBeershebaFlats。TheO’DowdsandtheSteinowitzesandtheCallahansandtheCohensandtheSpizzinellisandtheMcManusesandtheSpiegelmayersandtheJoneses——allnationsofus，welivedlikeonebigfamilytogether。AndwhenthehotnightscomealongwekeptalineofchildrenreachingfromthefrontdoortoKelly’sonthecornerpassingalongthecansofbeerfromonetoanotherwithoutthetroubleofrunningafterit。Andwithnomoreclothingonthanisprovidedforinthestatutes，sittinginallthewindies，withacoolgrowlerineveryone，andyourfeetoutintheair，andtheRosensteingirlssingingonthefire—escapeofthesixthfloor，andPatsyRourke’sflutegoingintheeighth，andtheladiescallingeachothersynonymsoutthewin—
dies，andnowandthenabreezesailinginoverMisterDepew’sCentral——ItellyoutheBeershebaFlatswasasummerresortthatmadetheCatskillslooklikeaboleintheground。Withhispersonfullofbeerandhisfeetoutthewindyandhisoldwomanfryingporkchopsoveracharcoalfurnaceandthechildrendancingincottonslipsonthesidewalkaroundtheorgan—grinderandtherentpaidforaweek——whatdoesamanwantbetteronahotnightthanthat？
Andthencomesthisrulingofthepolisdrivingpeopleouto’theircomfortablehomestosleepinparks——
’twasforalltheworldlikeaukaseofthemRus—
sians——’twillbeheardfromagainatnextelectiontime。
\"Well，then，OfficerReagandrivesthewholelotofustotheparkandturnsusinbythenearestgate。’Tisdarkunderthetrees，andallthechildrensetsuptohowlingthattheywanttogohome。
\"’Ye’llpassthenightinthisstretchofwoodsandscenery，’saysOfficerReagan。’’TwillbefineandimprisonmentforinsooltingtheParkCommis—
sionerandtheChiefoftheWeatherBureauifyere—
fuse。I’minchargeofthirtyacresbetweenhereandtheAgyptianMonument，andIadviseyetogivenotrouble。’Tissleepingonthegrassyezallhavebeencondemnedtobytheauthorities。Yez’llbepermittedtoleaveinthemorning，butyemustretoornbenight。
Meorderswassilentonthesubjectofbail，butI’11
findoutif’tisrequiredandthere’llbebondsmenatthegate。’
\"Therebeingnolightsexceptalongtheautomo—
biledrives，us179tenantsoftheBeershebaFlatspreparedtospendthenightasbestwecouldintheragingforest。Themthatbroughtblanketsandkin—
dlingwoodwasbestoff。Theygotfiresstartedandwrappedtheblanketsroundtheirheadsandlaiddown，cursing，inthegrass。Therewasnothingtosee，nothingtodrink，nothingtodo。Inthedarkwehadnowayoftellingfriendorfoeexceptbyfeelingthenosesof’em。Ibroughtalongmelastwinterovercoat，metoothbrush，somequininepillsandtheredquiltoffthebedinmeflat。ThreetimesduringthenightsomebodyrolledonmequiltandstuckhiskneesagainsttheAdam’sappleofme。AndthreetimesIjudgedhischaracterbyrunningmehandoverhisface，andthreetimesIroseupandkickedthein—
truderdownthehilltothegravellywalkbelow。AndthensomeonewithaflavorofKelly’swhiskeysnug—
gleduptome，andIfoundhisnoseturneduptherightway，andIsays：’Isthatyou，then，Patsey？
andhesays，’Itis，Carney。Howlongdoyouthinkit’lllast？’
\"’I’mnoweather—prophet，’saysI，’butiftheybringoutastronganti—Tammanyticketnextfallitoughttogetushomeintimetosleeponabedonceortwicebeforetheylineusupatthepolls。’
\"A—playingofmyfluteintotheairshaft，IsaysPatseyRourke，’anda—perspiringinmeownwindytothejoyfulnoiseofthepassingtrainsandthesmellofliverandonionsanda—readingofthelatestmur—
derinthesmokeofthecookingiswellenoughforme，’sayshe。’Whatisthisherdingusingrassfor，nottomentionthecrawlingthingswithlegsthatwalkupthetrousersofus，andtheJerseysnipesthatpeckatus，masqueradingunderthenameanddenom—
inationofmosquitoes。WhatisitallforCarney，andtherintgoingonjustthesameoverattheflats？’
\"TisthegreatannualMunicipalFreeNightOutingLawnParty，’saysI，’givenbythepolis，HettyGreenandtheDrugTrust。Duringtheheatedseasontheyholdaweekofitintheprincipalparks。
’Tisaschemetoreachthatportionofthepeoplethat’snotworthtakinguptoNorthBeachforafishfry。’
\"’Ican’tsleepontheground，’saysPatsey，’widanybenefit。Ihavethehayfeverandtherheuma—
tism，andmecarisfullofants。’
\"Well，thenightgoeson，andtheex—tenantsoftheFlatsgroansandstumblesaroundinthedark，tryingtofindrestandrecreationintheforest。Thechildrenisscreamingwiththecoldness，andthejan—
itormakeshotteafor’emandkeepsthefiresgoingwiththesignboardsthatpointtotheTavernandtheCasino。Thetenantstrytolaydownonthegrassbyfamiliesinthedark，butyou’reluckyifyoucansleepnexttoamanfromthesamefloororbelievinginthesamereligion。NowandthenaMurpby，acci—
dental，rollsoveronthegrassofaRosenstein，oraCohentriestocrawlundertheO’Gradybush，andthenthere’safeelingofnosesandsomebodyisrolleddownthehilltothedrivewayandstaysthere。Thereissomehair—pullingamongthewomenfolks，andeverybodyspanksthenearesthowlingkidtohimbythesenseoffeelingonly，regardlessofitsparentageandownership。’Tishardtokeepupthesocialdis—
tinctionsinthedarkthatflourishbydaylightintheBeershebaFlats。Mrs。Rafferty，thatdespisestheasphaltthataDagotreadson，wakesupinthemorn—
ingwithherfeetinthebosomofAntonioSpizzinelli。
AndMikeO’Dowd，thatalwaysthrewpeddlersdown—
stairsasfastashecameupon’em，hastounwindoldIsaacstein’swhiskersfromaroundhisneck，andwakeupthewholegangatdaylight。Buthereandtheresomefewgotacquaintedandoverlookedthediscom—
fortsoftheelements。Therewasfiveengagementstobemarriedannouncedattheflatsthenextmorning。
AboutmidnightIgetsupandwringsthedewoutofmyhair，andgoestothesideofthedrivewayandsitsdown。AtonesideoftheparkIcouldseethelightsinthestreetsandhouses;andIwasthinkinghowhappythemfolkswaswhocouldchasetheduckandsmoketheirpipesattheirwindows，andkeepcoolandpleasantlikenatureintendedfor’emto。
Justthenanautomobilestopsbyme，andafine—
looking，well—dressedmanstepsout。
’Meman，’sayshe，’canyoutellmewhyallthesepeoplearelyingaroundonthegrassinthepark？
Ithoughtitwasagainsttherules。’
\"’’Twasanordinance，’saysI，’justpassedbythePolisDepartmentandratifiedbytheTurfCut—
ters’Association，providingthatallpersonsnotcar—
ryingalicensenumberontheirrearaxlesshallkeepinthepublicparksuntilfurthernotice。Fortu—
nately，theorderscomesthisyearduringaspelloffineweather，andthemortality，exceptonthebordersofthelakeandalongtheautomobiledrives，willnotbeanygreaterthanusual。’
\"’Whoarethesepeopleonthesideofthebill？’
askstheman。
\"’Sure，’saysI，’noneothersthanthetenantsoftheBeershebaFlats——afinehomeforanyman，especiallyonhotnights。Maydaylightcomesoon！’
\"’Theycomeherebenight，’saysbe，’andbreatheinthepureairandthefragranceoftheflowersandtrees。Theydothat，’saysbe，’comingeverynightfromtheburningbeatofdwellingsofbrickandstone。’
\"’Andwood，’saysI。’Andmarbleandplasterandiron。’
\"’Thematterwillbeattendedtoatonce，’saystheman，puttinguphisbook。
\"’AreyetheParkCommissioner？’Iasks。
\"’IowntheBeershebaFlats，’sayshe。’Godblessthegrassandthetreesthatgiveextrabenefitstoaman’stenants。Therentsshallberaisedfifteenpercent。to—morrow。Good—night，’sayshe。\"
THEEASTEROFTHESOUL
Itishardlylikelythatagoddessmaydie。ThenEastre，theoldSaxongoddessofspring，mustbelaughinginhermuslinsleeveatpeoplewhobelievethatEaster，hernamesake，existsonlyalongcertainstripsofFifthAvenuepavementafterchurchservice。
Aye！Itbelongstotheworld。TheptarmiganinChilkootPassdiscardshiswinterwhitefeathersforbrown;thePatagonianBeauBrummelloilshischi—
gnonandclubshimanothersweethearttodragtohisskull—strewnflat。AnddowninChrystieStreet——
Mr。\"Tiger\"McQuirkarosewithafeelingofdisquietthatbedidnotunderstand。Withaprac—
tisedfootberolledthreeofhisyoungerbrotherslikelogsoutofhiswayastheylaysleepingonthefloor。
Beforeafoot—squarelookingglasshungbythewin—
dowhestoodandshavedhimself。Ifthatmayseemtoyouatasktooslighttobethusimpressivelychron—
icled，Ibearwithyou;youdonotknowoftheareastobeaccomplishedintraversingthecheekandchinofMr。McQuirk。
McQuirk，senior，hadgonetoworklongbefore。
Thebigsonofthehousewasidle。Hewasamarble—
cutter，andthemarble—cutterswereoutonastrike。
\"Whatailsye？\"askedhismother，lookingathimcuriously;\"areyenotfeelingwellthemorning，maybenow？\"
\"He’sthinkingalongofAnnieMariaDoyle，im—
pudentlyexplainedyoungerbrotherTim，tenyearsold。\"
\"Tiger\"reachedoverthehandofachampionandsweptthesmallMcQuirkfromhischair。
\"Ifeelfine，\"saidhe，\"beyondatouchoftheI—don’t—know—wbat—you—call—its。Ifeelliketherewasgoingtobeearthquakesormusicoratrifleofchillsandfeverormaybeapicnic。Idon’tknowhowI
feel。Ifeellikeknockingthefaceoffapoliceman，orelsemaybelikeplayingConeyIslandstraightacrosstheboardfrompop—corntotheelephantboudabs。\"
\"It’sthespringinyerbones，\"saidMrs。McQuirk。
\"It’sthesaprisin’。TimewaswhenIcouldn’tkeepmefeetstillnormeheadcoolwhentheearthwormsbegantocrawloutinthedewofthemornin’。’Tisabitofteawilldoyegood，madefrompipsissewaandgentianbarkatthedruggist’s。\"
\"Backup！\"saidMr。McQuirk，impatiently。
\"There’snospringinsightThere’ssnowyetontheshedinDonovan’sbackyard。AndyesterdaytheyputsopencarsontheSixthAvenuelines，andthejanitorshavequitorderingcoal。Andthatmeanssixweeksmoreofwinter，byallthesignsthatbe。\"
AfterbreakfastMr。McQuirkspentfifteenminutesbeforethecorrugatedmirror，subjugatinghishairandarranginghisgreen—and—purpleascotwithitsamethysttombstonepin—eloquentofhischosencalling。
Sincethestrikehadbeencalleditwasthispar—
ticularstriker’shabittohiehimselfeachmorningtothecornersaloonofFlahertyBrothers，andthereestablishhimselfuponthesidewalk，withonefootrestingonthebootblack’sstand，observingthepanoramaofthestreetuntilthepaceoftimebroughttwelveo’clockandthedinnerhour。AndMr。
\"Tiger\"McQuirk，withhisathleticseventyinches，welltrainedinsportandbattle;hissmooth，pale，solid，amiableface——bluewheretherazorhadtrav—
elled;hiscarefullyconsideredclothesandairofcapa—
bility，washimselfaspectaclenotdispleasingtotheeye。
ButonthismorningMr。McQuirkdidnothastenimmediatelytohispostofleisureandobservation。
Somethingunusualthathecouldnotquitegraspwasintheair。Somethingdisturbedhisthoughts，ruffledhissenses，madehimatoncelanguid，irritable，elated，dissastisfiedandsportive。Hewasnodiagnostician，andhedidnotknowthatLentwasbreakingupphysiologicallyinhissystem。
Mrs。McQuirkhadspokenofspring。ScepticallyTigerlookedabouthimforsigns。Fewtheywere。Theorgan—grinderswereatwork;buttheywerealwaysprecociousharbingers。Itwasnearenoughspringforthemtogopenny—huntingwhentheskatingballdroppedatthepark。Inthemilliners’
windowsEasterhats，grave，gayandjubilant，blos—
somed。Thereweregreenpatchesamongtheside—
walkdebrisofthegrocers。Onathird—storywindow—
sillthefirstelbowcushionoftheseason——oldgoldstripesonacrimsonground——supportedthekimo—
noedarmsofapensivebrunette。ThewindblewcoldfromtheEastRiver，butthesparrowswerefly—
ingtotheeaveswithstraws。Asecond—handstore，combiningforesightwithfaith，hadsetoutanice—
chestandbaseballgoods。
Andthen\"Tiger’s\"eye，discreditingthesesigns，fellupononethatboreabudofpromise。Fromabright，newlithographtheheadofCapricornuscon—
frontedhim，betokeningtheforwardandheadybrew。
Mr。McQuirkenteredthesaloonandcalledforhisglassofbock。Hethrewhisnickelonthebar，raisedtheglass，setitdownwithouttastingitandstrolledtowardthedoor。
\"Wot’sthematter，LordBolinbroke？\"inquiredthesarcasticbartender;wantachinyvaseoragold—linedepergnetodrinkitoutof——hey？\"
\"Say，\"saidMr。McQuirk，wheelingandshootingoutahorizontalhandandaforty—five—degreechin，\"youknowyourplaceonlywhenitcomesforgivin’
titles。I’vechangedmemindaboutdrinkin——see？
Yougotyourmoney，ain’tyou？Waittillyougetstungbeforeyougetthedrooptoyourlip，willyou？\"
ThusMr。Quirkaddedmutabilityofdesirestothestrangehumorsthathadtakenpossessionofhim。
Leavingthesaloon，hewalkedawaytwentystepsandleanedintheopendoorwayofLutz，thebarber。
HeandLutzwerefriends，maskingtheirsentimentsbehindabuseandbludgeonsofrepartee。
\"Irishloafer，\"roaredLutz，\"howdoyoudo？
So，notyethafderbolicemansordercatcherofdogsdonedeirduty！\"
\"Hello，Dutch，\"saidMr。McQuirk。\"Can’tgetyourmindoffoffrankfurters，canyou？\"
\"Bah！\"exclaimedtheGerman，comingandlean—
inginthedoor。\"Ihafasoulabovefrankfurtersto—day。Dereisspringtimeinderair。Icanfeelitcominginoferdermudofderstreetsanddasiceinderriver。Soonwillderebebienicsinderislands，mitkegsofbeerunderdertrees。\"
\"Say，\"saidMr。McQuirk，settinghisbatononeside，\"iseverybodykiddin’meaboutgentleSpring？
Thereain’tanymorespringintheairthanthereisinahorsehairsofainaSecondAvenuefurnishedroom。Formethewinterunderwearyetandthebuckwheatcakes。\"
\"Youhafnoboetry，\"saidLutz。True，itisyedtcold，undindercitywehafnotmanyofdersigns;butderearedreekindsofbeobledotshouldalwaysfeelder’approachofspringfirst——deyareboets，loversandpoorvidows。\"
Mr。McQuirkwentonhisway，stillpossessedbythestrangeperturbationthathedidnotunderstand。
Somethingwaslackingtohiscomfort，anditmadehimhalfangrybecausebedidnotknowwhatitwas。
Twoblocksawayhecameuponafoe，oneConover，whomhewasboundinhonortoengageincombat。
Mr。McQuirkmadetheattackwiththecharac—
teristicsuddennessandfiercenessthathadgainedforhimtheendearingsobriquetof\"Tiger。\"Thede—
fenceofMr。Conoverwassopromptandadmirablethattheconflictwasprotracteduntiltheonlookersun—
selfishlygavethewarningcryof\"Cheeseit——thecop！\"Theprincipalsescapedeasilybyrunningthroughthenearestopendoorsintothecommuni—
catingbackyardsattherearofthehouses。
Mr。McQuirkemergedintoanotherstreet。Hestoodbyalamp—postforafewminutesengagedinthoughtandthenheturnedandplungedintoasmallnotionandnewsshop。Ared—hairedyoungwoman，eatinggum—drops，cameandlookedfreezinglyathimacrosstheice—boundsteppesofthecounter。
\"Say，lady，\"hesaid，\"haveyougotasongbookwiththisinit。Let’sseebowitleadsoff——
\"Whenthespringtimecomeswellwanderinthedale，love，Andwhisperofthosedaysofyore——\"
\"I’mhavingafriend，\"explainedMr。McQuirk，\"laidupwithabrokenleg，andhesentmeafterit。He’sadevilforsongsandpoetrywhenhecan’tgetouttodrink。\"
\"Wehavenot，\"repliedtheyoungwoman，withun—
concealedcontempt。\"Butthereisanewsongoutthatbeginsthisway：
\"’Letussittogetherintheoldarmchair;
Andwhilethefirelightflickerswe’llbecomfortablethere。’\"
TherewillbenoprofitinfollowingMr。\"Tiger\"
McQuirkthroughhisfurthervagariesofthatdayuntilhecomestostandknockingatthedoorofAnnieMariaDoyle。ThegoddessEastre，itseems，hadguidedhisfootstepsarightatlast。
\"Isthatyounow，JimmyMcQuirk？\"shecried，smilingthroughtheopeneddoor（AnnieMariahadneveracceptedthe\"Tiger\"）。\"Well，whatever！\"