\"Comeoutintheball，\"saidMr。McQuirk。\"I
wanttoaskyeropinionoftheweather—onthelevel。\"
\"Areyoucrazy，sure？\"saidAnnieMaria。
\"Iam，\"saidthe\"Tiger。\"\"They’vebeentellingmealldaytherewasspringintheair。Weretheyliars？OramI？\"
\"Dearme！\"saidAnnieMaria——\"haven’tyouno—
ticedit？Icanalmostsmelltheviolets。Andthegreengrass。Ofcourse，thereain’tanyyet——it’sjustakindoffeeling，youknow。\"
\"That’swhatI’mgettingat，\"saidMr。McQuirk。
I’vehadit。Ididn’trecognizeitatfirst。I
thoughtmaybeitwasen—wee，contractedtheotherdaywhenIsteppedaboveFourteenthStreet。ButthekatzenjammerI’vegotdon’tspellviolets。Itspellsyerownname，AnnieMaria，andit’syouI
want。IgotoworknextMonday，andImakefourdollarsaday。Spielup，oldgirl——dowemakeateam？\"
\"Jimmy，\"sighedAnnieMaria，suddenlydisap—
pearinginhisovercoat，\"don’tyouseethatspringisallovertheworldrightthisminute？\"
Butyouyourselfrememberhowthatdayended。
Beginningwithsofineapromiseofvernalthings，lateintheafternoontheairchilledandaninchofsnowfell——evensolateinMarch。OnFifthAve—
nuetheladiesdrewtheirwinterfurscloseaboutthem。Onlyintheflorists’windowscouldbeper—
ceivedanysignsofthemorningsmileofthecominggoddessEastre。
Atsixo’clockHerrLutzbegantoclosehisshop。
Hebeardawell—knownshout：\"Hello，Dutch！\"
\"Tiger\"McQuirk，inhisshirt—sleeves，withhishatonthebackofhisbead，stoodoutsideinthewhirlingsnow，puffingatablackcigar。
\"Donnerwetter！\"shoutedLutz，\"dervinter，hehasgomebackagainyet！\"
\"Yeraliar，Dutch，\"calledbackMr。McQuirk，withfriendlygeniality，it’sspringtime，bythewatch。\"
THEFOOL—KILLER
DownSouthwheneveranyoneperpetratessomeparticularlymonumentalpieceoffoolishnessevery—
bodysays：\"SendforJesseHolmes。\"
JesseHolmesistheFool—Killer。Ofcourseheisamyth，likeSantaClausandJackFrostandGeneralProsperityandallthoseconcreteconceptionsthataresupposedtorepresentanideathatNaturehasfailedtoembody。ThewisestoftheSouthronscan—
nottellyouwhencecomestheFool—Killer’sname;
butfewandhappyarethehouseholdsfromtheRo—
anoketotheRioGrandeinwhichthenameofJesseHolmeshasnotbeenpronouncedorinvoked。Alwayswithasmile，andoftenwithatear，ishesummonedtohisofficialduty。AbusymanisJesseHolmes。
IremembertheclearpictureofhimthathungonthewallsofmyfancyduringmybarefootdayswhenIwasdodginghisoft—threateneddevoirs。Tomebewasaterribleoldman，ingrayclothes，withalong，ragged，graybeard，andreddish，fierceeyes。
Ilookedtoseehimcomestumpinguptheroadinacloudofdust，withawhiteoakstaffinhishandandhisshoestiedwithleatherthongs。Imayyet——
Butthisisastory，notasequel。
Ihavetakennoticewithregret，thatfewstoriesworthreadinghavebeenwrittenthatdidnotcon—
taindrinkofsomesort。Downgothefluids，fromArizonaDick’sthreefingersofredpizentothein—
efficaciousOolongthatnervesLionelMontressortoreparteeinthe\"DottyDialogues。\"So，insuchgoodcompanyImayintroduceanabsinthedrip——
oneabsinthedrip，drippedthroughasilverdripper，orderly，opalescent，cool，green—eyed——deceptive。
Kernerwasafool。Besidesthat，hewasanartistandmygoodfriend。Now，ifthereisonethingonearthutterlydespicabletoanother，itisanartistintheeyesofanauthorwhosestoryhehasillus—
trated。Justtryitonce。WriteastoryaboutaminingcampinIdiho。Sellit。Spendthemoney，andthen，sixmonthslater，borrowaquarter（oradime），andbuythemagazinecontainingit。Youfindafull—pagewashdrawingofyourhero，BlackBill，thecowboy。Somewhereinyourstoryyouem—
ployedtheword\"horse。\"Aha！theartisthasgraspedtheidea。BlackBillhasontheregulationtrousersoftheM。F。H。oftheWestchesterCountyHunt。Hecarriesaparlorrifle，andwearsamon—
ocle。InthedistanceisasectionofForty—secondStreetduringasearchforalostgas—pipe，andtheTajMahal，thefamousmausoleuminIndia。
\"Enough！IhatedKerner，andonedayImethimandwebecamefriends。Hewasyoungandglori—
ouslymelancholybecausehisspiritsweresohighandlifebadsomuchinstoreforhim。Yes，hewasalmostriotouslysad。Thatwashisyouth。Whenamanbeginstobehilariousinasorrowfulwayyoucanbetamillionthatheisdyeinghishair。Ker—
ner’shairwasplentifulandcarefullymattedasanartist’sthatchshouldbe。Hewasacigaretteur，andbeauditedhisdinnerswithredwine。But，mostofall，bewasafool。And，wisely，Ienviedhim，andlistenedpatientlywhileheknockedVelasquezandTintoretto。Oncehetoldmethathelikedastoryofminethathebadcomeacrossinananthology。Hedescribedittome，andIwassorrythatMr。Fitz—
JamesO’Brienwasdeadandcouldnotlearnoftheeulogyofhiswork。ButmostlyKernermadefewbreaksandwasaconsistentfool。
I’dbetterexplainwhatImeanbythat。Therewasagirl。Now，agirl，asfarasIamconcerned，isathingthatbelongsinaseminaryoranalbum;
butIconcededtheexistenceoftheanimalinordertoretainKerner’sfriendship。Heshowedmeherpictureinalocket——shewasablondeorabrunette——Ihaveforgottenwhich。Sheworkedinafactoryforeightdollarsaweek。Lestfactoriesquotethiswagebywayofvindication，Iwilladdthatthegirlbadworkedforfiveyearstoreachthatsupremeele—
vationofremuneration，beginningat$1。50perweek。
Kerner’sfatherwasworthacoupleofmillionsHewaswillingtostandforart，buthedrewthelineatthefactorygirl。SoKernerdisinheritedhisfatherandwalkedouttoacheapstudioandlivedonsausagesforbreakfastandonFarronifordinner。
Farronihadtheartisticsoulandalineofcreditforpaintersandpoets，nicelyadjusted。SometimesKer—
riersoldapictureandboughtsomenewtapestry，aringandadozensilkcravats，andpaidFarronitwodollarsonaccount。
OneeveningKernerhadmetodinnerwithhimselfandthefactorygirl。TheyweretobemarriedassoonasKernercouldsloshpaintprofitably。Asfortheex—father’stwomillions——pouf！
Shewasawonder。Smallandhalf—waypretty，andasmuchathereaseinthatcheapcafeasthoughshewereonlyinthePalmerHouse，Chicago，withasouvenirspoonalreadysafelyhiddeninhershirtwaist。Shewasnatural。TwothingsInoticedaboutherespecially。Herbeltbucklewasexactlyinthemiddleofherback，andshedidn’ttellusthatalargemanwitharubystick—pinhadfollowedherupallthewayfromFourteenthStreet。WasKernersuchafool？
Iwondered。AndthenIthoughtofthequantityofstripedcuffsandblueglassbeadsthat$2，000，000
canbuyfortheheathen，andIsaidtomyselfthathewas。AndthenElise——certainlythatwashernametoldus，merrily，thatthebrownspotonherwaistwascausedbyherlandladyknockingatthedoorwhileshe（thegirl——confoundtheEnglishlanguage）
washeatinganironoverthegasjet，andshehidtheironunderthebedclothesuntilthecoastwasclear，andtherewasthepieceofchewinggumstucktoitwhenshebegantoironthewaist，and——well，Iwonderedbowintheworldthechewinggumcametobethere——don’ttheyeverstopchewingit？
Awhileafterthat——don’tbeimpatient，theab—
sinthedripiscomingnow——KernerandIwerediningatFarroni’s。Amandolinandaguitarwerebeingattacked;theroomwasfullofsmokeinnice，longcrinklylayersjustliketheartistsdrawthesteamfromaplumpuddingonChristmasposters，andaladyinabluesilkandgasolinedgauntletswasbe—
ginningtobumanairfromtheCatskills。
\"Kerner，\"saidI，\"youareafool。\"
\"Ofcourse，\"saidKerner，\"Iwouldn’tlethergoonworking。Notmywife。What’stheusetowait？
She’swilling。IsoldthatwatercolorofthePali—
sadesyesterday。Wecouldcookonatwo—burnergasstove。YouknowtheragoutsIcanthrowtogether？
Yes，Ithinkwewillmarrynextweek。\"
\"Kerner，\"saidI，\"youareafool。\"
\"Haveanabsinthedrip？\"saidKerner，grandly。
\"To—nightyouaretheguestofArtinpayingquan—
tities。Ithinkwewillgetaflatwithabath。\"
\"Inevertriedone——Imeananabsinthedrip，\"
saidI。
Thewaiterbroughtitandpouredthewaterslowlyovertheiceinthedripper。
\"ItlooksexactlyliketheMississippiRiverwaterinthebigbendbelowNatchez，\"saidI，fascinated，gazingatthebe—muddleddrip。
\"Therearesuchflatsforeightdollarsaweek，\"
saidKerner。
\"Youareafool，\"saidI，andbegantosipthefiltration。\"Whatyouneed，\"Icontinued，\"istheofficialattentionofoneJesseHolmes。\"
Kerner，notbeingaSoutherner，didnotcompre—
hend，sohesat，sentimental，figuringonhisflatinhissordid，artisticway，whileIgazedintothegreeneyesofthesophisticatedSpiritofWormwood。
PresentlyInoticedcasuallythataprocessionofbacchanteslimnedonthewallimmediatelybelowtheceilingbadbeguntomove，traversingtheroomfromrighttoleftinagayandspectacularpilgrimage。I
didnotconfidemydiscoverytoKerner。Theartistictemperamentistoohigh—strungtoviewsuchdevia—
tionsfromthenaturallawsoftheartofkalsomining。
Isippedmyabsinthedripandsawedwormwood。
Oneabsinthedripisnotmuch——butIsaidagaintoKerner，kindly：
\"Youareafool。\"Andthen，inthevernacular：
\"JesseHolmesforyours。\"
AndthenIlookedaroundandsawtheFool—Killer，ashehadalwaysappearedtomyimagination，sittingatanearbytable，andregardinguswithhisreddish，fatal，relentlesseyes。HewasJesseHolmesfromtoptotoe;hehadthelong，gray，raggedbeard，thegrayclothesofancientcut，theexecutioner’slook，andthedustyshoesofonewhobadbeencalledfromafar。HiseyeswereturnedfixedlyuponKerner。I
shudderedtothinkthatIbadinvokedhimfromhisassiduoussouthernduties。Ithoughtofflying，andthenIkeptmyseat，reflectingthatmanymenbades—
capedhisministrationswhenitseemedthatnothingshortofanappointmentasAmbassadortoSpaincouldsavethemfromhim。IhadcalledmybrotherKernerafoolandwasindangerofhellfire。Thatwasnothing;butIwouldtrytosavehimfromJesseHolmes。
TheFool—Killergotupfromhistableandcameovertoours。Herestedhishandsuponit，andturnedhisburning，vindictiveeyesuponKerner，ig—
noringme。
\"Youareahopelessfool，\"besaidtotheartist。
\"Haven’tyouhadenoughofstarvationyet？Iof—
feryouonemoreopportunity。Giveupthisgirlandcomebacktoyourhome。Refuse，andyoumusttaketheconsequences。\"
TheFool—Killer’sthreateningfacewaswithinafootofhisvictim’s;buttomyhorror，Kernermadenottheslightestsignofbeingawareofhispresence。
\"Wewillbemarriednextweek，\"bemutteredab—
sent—mindedly。\"Withmystudiofurnitureandsomesecond—handstuffwecanmakeout。\"
\"Youhavedecidedyourownfate，\"saidtheFool—
Killer，inalowbutterriblevoice。\"Youmaycon—
sideryourselfasonedead。Youhavehadyourlastchance。\"
\"Inthemoonlight，\"wentonKerner，softly，\"wewillsitundertheskylightwithourguitarandsingawaythefalsedelightsofprideandmoney。\"
\"Onyourownheadbeit，\"hissedtheFool—Killer，andmyscalpprickledwhenIperceivedthatneitherKerner’seyesnorhisearstooktheslightestcog—
nizanceofJesseHolmes。AndthenIknewthatforsomereasontheveilhadbeenliftedformealone，andthatIbadbeenelectedtosavemyfriendfromde—
structionattheFool—Killer’sbands。Somethingofthefearandwonderofitmusthaveshoweditselfinmyface。
\"Excuseme，\"saidKerner，withhiswan，amiablesmile;\"wasItalkingtomyself？Ithinkitisgettingtobeahabitwithme。\"
TheFool—KillerturnedandwalkedoutofFar—
ronils。
\"Waithereforme，\"saidI，rising;\"Imustspeaktothatman。Hadyounoanswerforhim？Becauseyouareafoolmustyoudielikeamouseunderhisfoot？Couldyounotutteronesqueakinyourowndefence？
\"Youaredrunk，\"saidKerner，heartlessly。\"Nooneaddressedme。\"
\"Thedestroyerofyourmind，\"saidI，\"stoodaboveyoujustnowandmarkedyouforhisvictim。
Youarenotblindordeaf。\"
\"Irecognizednosuchperson，\"saidKerner。\"I
haveseennoonebutyouatthistable。Sitdown。
Hereafteryoushallhavenomoreabsinthedrips。\"
\"Waithere，\"saidI，furious;\"ifyoudon’tcareforyourownlife，Iwillsaveitforyou。\"
Ihurriedoutandovertookthemaningrayhalf—
waydowntheblock。HelookedasIbadseenhiminmyfancyathousandtimes—truculent，grayandawful。Hewalkedwiththewhiteoakstaff，andbutforthestreet—sprinklerthedustwouldhavebeenfly—
ingunderhistread。
Icaughthimbythesleeveandsteeredhimtoadarkangleofabuilding。Iknewhewasamyth，andIdidnotwantacoptoseemeconversingwithva—
cancy，forImightlandinBellevueminusmysilvermatchboxanddiamondring。
\"JesseHolmes，\"saidI，facinghimwithapparentbravery，\"Iknowyou。Ihaveheardofyouallmylife。Iknownowwhatascourgeyouhavebeentoyourcountry。Insteadofkillingfoolsyouhavebeenmurderingtheyouthandgeniusthatarenecessarytomakeapeopleliveandgrowgreat。Youareafoolyourself，Holmes;youbegankillingoffthebrightestandbestofourcountrymenthreegenerationsago，whentheoldandobsoletestandardsofsocietyandhonorandorthodoxywerenarrowandbigoted。YouprovedthatwhenyouputyourmurderousmarkuponmyfriendKerner——thewisestchapIeverknewinmylife。\"
TheFool—Killerlookedatmegrimlyandclosely。
\"You’veaqueerjag，\"saidhe，curiously。\"Oh，yes;Iseewhoyouarenow。Youweresittingwithhimatthetable。Well，ifI’mnotmistaken，Iheardyoucallhimafool，too。\"
\"Idid，\"saidI。\"Idelightindoingso。Itisfromenvy。Byallthestandardsthatyouknowheisthemostegregiousandgrandiloquentandgorgeousfoolinalltheworld。That’swhyyouwanttokillhim。\"
\"WouldyoumindtellingmewhoorwhatyouthinkIam？\"askedtheoldman。
Ilaughedboisterouslyandthenstoppedsuddenly，forIrememberedthatitwouldnotdotobeseensohilariousinthecompanyofnothingbutabrickwall。
\"YouareJesseHolmes，theFool—Killer，\"Isaid，solemnly，\"andyouaregoingtokillmyfriendKer—
ner。Idon’tknowwhorangyouup，butifyoudokillhimI’llseethatyougetpinchedforit。Thatis，\"Iadded，despairingly，\"ifIcangetacoptoseeyou。Theyhaveapooreyeformortals，andIthinkitwouldtakethewholeforcetoroundupamythmur—
derer。\"
\"Well，\"saidtheFool—Killer，briskly，\"Imustbegoing。Youhadbettergohomeandsleepitoff。
Good—night。\"
AtthisIwasmovedbyasuddenfearforKernertoasofterandmorepleadingmood。Ileanedagainstthegrayman’ssleeveandbesoughthim：
\"GoodMr。Fool—Killer，pleasedon’tkilllittleKer—
ner。Whycan’tyougobackSouthandkillCon—
gressmenandclay—catersandletusalone？Whydon’tyougouponFifthAvenueandkillmillionairesthatkeeptheirmoneylockedupandwon’tletyoungfoolsmarrybecauseoneof’emlivesonthewrongstreet？Comeandhaveadrink，Jesse。Willyounevergetontoyourjob？\"
\"Doyouknowthisgirlthatyourfriendhasmadehimselfafoolabout？\"askedtheFool—Killer。
\"Ihavethehonor，\"saidI，\"andthat’swhyI
calledKernerafool。Heisafoolbecausehehaswaitedsolongbeforemarryingher。Heisafoolbecausebehasbeenwaitinginthehopesofgettingtheconsentofsomeabsurdtwo—million—dollar—foolparentorsomethingofthesort。\"
\"Maybe，\"saidtheFool—Killer——\"maybeI——I
mighthavelookedatitdifferently。WouldyoumindgoingbacktotherestaurantandbringingyourfriendKernerhere？\"
\"OH，what’stheuse，Jesse，\"Iyawned。\"Hecan’tseeyou。Hedidn’tknowyouweretalkingtohimatthetable，Youareafictitiouscharacter，youknow。\"
\"MaybeHecanthistime。Willyougofetchhim？\"
\"Allright，\"saidI，\"butI’veasuspicionthatyou’renotstrictlysober，Jesse。Youseemtobewa—
veringandlosingyouroutlines。Don’tvanishbeforeIgetback。\"
IwentbacktoKernerandsaid：
\"There’samanwithaninvisiblehomicidalmaniawaitingtoseeyououtside。Ibelievehewantstomurderyou。Comealong。Youwon’tseehim，sothere’snothingtobefrightenedabout。\"
Kernerlookedanxious。
\"Why，\"saidbe，\"Ihadnoideaoneabsinthewoulddothat。You’dbettersticktoWurzburger。
I’llwalkhomewithyou。\"
IledhimtoJesseHolmes’s。
\"Rudolf，\"saidtheFool—Killer，\"I’llgivein。
Bringheruptothehouse。Givemeyourhand，boy。\"，\"Goodforyou，dad，\"saidKerner，shakinghandswiththeoldman。You’llneverregretitafteryouknowher。\"
\"So，youdidseehimwhenhewastalkingtoyouatthetable？\"IaskedKerner。
\"Wehadn’tspokentoeachotherinayear，\"saidKerner。\"It’sallrightnow。\"
Iwalkedaway。
\"Whereareyougoing？\"calledKerner。
\"IamgoingtolookforJesseHolmes，\"Ian—
swered，withdignityandreserve。
TRANSIENTSINARCADIA
ThereisahotelonBroadwaythathasescapeddiscoverybythesummer—resortpromoters。Itisdeepandwideandcool。Itsroomsarefinishedindarkoakofalowtemperature。Home—madebreezesanddeep—greenshrubberygiveitthedelightswithouttheinconveniencesoftheAdirondacks。Onecanmountitsbroadstaircasesorglidedreamilyupwardinitsaerialelevators，attendedbyguidesinbrassbut—
tons，withaserenejoythatAlpineclimbershaveneverattained。ThereisachefinitskitchenwhowillprepareforyoubrooktroutbetterthantheWhiteMountainseverserved，seafoodthatwouldturnOldPointComfort——\"byGad，sah！\"——greenwithenvy，andMainevenisonthatwouldmelttheofficialheartofagamewarden。
AfewhavefoundoutthisoasisintheJulydesertofManhattan。Duringthatmonthyouwillseethehotel’sreducedarrayofguestsscatteredluxuriouslyaboutinthecooltwilightof——itsloftydining—room，gazingatoneanotheracrossthesnowywasteofun—
occupiedtables，silentlycongratulatory。
Superfluous，watchful，pneumaticallymovingwait—
ershovernear，supplyingeverywantbeforeitisex—
pressed。ThetemperatureisperpetualApril。Theceilingispaintedinwatercolorstocounterfeitasum—
merskyacrosswhichdelicatecloudsdriftanddonotvanishasthoseofnaturedotoourregret。
Thepleasing，distantroarofBroadwayistrans—
formedintheimaginationofthehappygueststothenoiseofawaterfallfillingthewoodswithitsrestfulsound。Ateverystrangefootstepthegueststurnananxiousear，fearfullesttheirretreatbediscoveredandinvadedbytherestlesspleasure—seekerswhoareforeverhoundingnaturetoherdeepestlairs。
Thusinthedepopulatedcaravansarythelittlebandofconnoisseursjealouslybidethemselvesduringtheheatedseason，enjoyingtotheuttermostthede—
lightsofmountainandseashorethatartandskillhavegatheredandservedtothem。
InthisJulycametothehotelonewhosecardthatshesenttotheclerkforhernametoberegisteredread\"Mme。He1oiseD’ArcyBeaumont。\"
MadameBeaumontwasaguestsuchastheHotelLotusloved。Shepossessedthefineairofthee1ite，temperedandsweetenedbyacordialgraciousnessthatmadethehotelemployeesherslaves。Bell—boysfoughtforthehonorofansweringherring;theclerks，butforthequestionofownership，wouldhavedeededtoherthehotelanditscontents;theotherguestsregardedherasthefinaltouchoffeminineexclusivenessandbeautythatrenderedtheentourageperfect。
Thissuper—excellentguestrarelyleftthehotel。
Herhabitswereconsonantwiththecustomsofthedis—
criminatingpatronsoftheHotelLotus。Toenjoythatdelectablehostelryonemustforegothecityasthoughitwereleaguesaway。Bynightabriefex—
cursiontothenearbyroofsisinorder;butduringthetorriddayoneremainsintheumbrageousfast—
nessesoftheLotusasatrouthangspoisedinthepel—
lucidsanctuariesofhisfavoritepool。，ThoughaloneintheHotelLotus，MadameBeau—
montpreservedthestateofaqueenwhoselonelinesswasofpositiononly。Shebreakfastedatten，acool，sweet，leisurely，delicatebeingwhoglowedsoftlyinthedimnesslikeajasmineflowerinthedusk。
ButatdinnerwasMadame’sgloryatitsheight。
Sheworeagownasbeautifulandimmaterialasthemistfromanunseencataractinamountaingorge。
Thenomenclatureofthisgownisbeyondtheguessofthescribe。Alwayspale—redrosesreposedagainstitslace—garnishedfront。Itwasagownthatthebead—waiterviewedwithrespectandmetatthedoor。
YouthoughtofPariswhenyousawit，andmaybeofmysteriouscountesses，andcertainlyofVersaillesandrapiersandMrs。Fiskeandrouge—et—noir。TherewasanuntraceablerumorintheHotelLotusthatMadamewasacosmopolite，andthatshewaspullingwithherslenderwhitebandscertainstringsbetweenthenationsinthefavorofRussia。Beingaciti—
zenessoftheworld’ssmoothestroadsitwassmallwonderthatshewasquicktorecognizeintherefinedpurlieusoftheHotelLotusthemostdesirablespotinAmericaforarestfulsojournduringtheheatofmid—
summer。
OnthethirddayofMadameBeaumont’sresidenceinthehotelayoungmanenteredandregisteredhim—
selfasaguest。Hisclothing——tospeakofhispointsinapprovedorder——wasquietlyinthemode;
hisfeaturesgoodandregular;hisexpressionthatofapoisedandsophisticatedmanoftheworld。Hein—
formedtheclerkthathewouldremainthreeorfourdays，inquiredconcerningthesailingofEuropeansteamships，andsankintotheblissfulinanitionofthenonpareilhotelwiththecontentedairofatravellerinhisfavoriteinn。
Theyoungman——nottoquestiontheveracityoftheregister——wasHaroldFarrington。HedriftedintotheexclusiveandcalmcurrentoflifeintheLotussotactfullyandsilentlythatnotaripplealarmedhisfellow—seekersafterrest。HeateintheLotusandofitspatronym，andwaslulledintoblissfulpeacewiththeotherfortunatemariners。InonedayheacquiredhistableandhiswaiterandthefearlestthepantingchasersafterreposethatkeptBroadwaywarmshouldpounceuponanddestroythiscontiguousbutcoverthaven。
AfterdinneronthenextdayafterthearrivalofHaroldFarringtonMadameBeaumontdroppedherhandkerchiefinpassingout。Mr。Farringtonrecov—
eredandreturneditwithouttheeffusivenessofaseekerafteracquaintance。
PerhapstherewasamysticfreemasonrybetweenthediscriminatingguestsoftheLotus。Perhapstheyweredrawnonetoanotherbythefactoftheircommongoodfortuneindiscoveringtheacmeofsum—
merresortsinaBroadwayhotel。Wordsdelicateincourtesyandtentativeindeparturefromformalitypassedbetweenthetwo。And，asifintheexpedientatmosphereofarealsummerresort，anacquaintancegrew，floweredandfructifiedonthespotasdoesthemysticplantoftheconjuror。Forafewmomentstheystoodonabalconyuponwhichthecorridorended，andtossedthefeatheryballofconversation。
\"Onetiresoftheoldresorts，\"saidMadameBeau—
mont，withafaintbutsweetsmile。\"Whatistheusetoflytothemountainsortheseashoretoescapenoiseanddustwhentheverypeoplethatmakebothfollowusthere？\"
\"Evenontheocean，\"remarkedFarrington，sadly，\"thePhilistinesbeuponyou。Themostexclusivesteamersaregettingtobescarcelymorethanferryboats。Heavenhelpuswhenthesummerresorterdis—
coversthattheLotusisfurtherawayfromBroadwaythanThousandIslandsorMackinac。\"
\"Ihopeoursecretwillbesafeforaweek，any—
how，\"saidMadame，withasighandasmile。\"IdonotknowwhereIwouldgoiftheyshoulddescenduponthedearLotus。Iknowofbutoneplacesode—
lightfulinsummer，andthatisthecastleofCountPolinski，intheUralMountains。\"
\"IhearthatBaden—BadenandCannesarealmostdesertedthisseason，\"saidFarrington。\"Yearbyyeartheoldresortsfallindisrepute。Perhapsmanyothers，likeourselves，areseekingoutthequietnooksthatareoverlookedbythemajority。\"
\"Ipromisemyselfthreedaysmoreofthisdeliciousrest，\"saidMadameBeaumont。\"OnMondaytheCedricsails。\"
HaroldFarrington’seyesproclaimedhisregret。
\"ItoomustleaveonMonday，\"hesaid，\"butIdonotgoabroad。\"
MadameBeaumontshruggedoneroundshoulderinaforeigngesture。
\"Onecannotbidehereforever，charmingthoughitmaybe。Thechateauhasbeeninpreparationformelongerthanamonth。Thosehousepartiesthatonemustgive——whatanuisance！ButIshallneverfor—
getmyweekintheHotelLotus。\"
\"NorshallI，\"saidFarringtoninalowvoice，andIshallneverforgivetheCedric。\"
OnSundayevening，threedaysafterward，thetwosatatalittletableonthesamebalcony。Adiscreetwaiterbroughticesandsmallglassesofclaretcup。
MadameBeaumontworethesamebeautifuleven—
inggownthatshehadworneachdayatdinner。Sheseemedthoughtful。Nearherhandonthetablelayasmallchatelainepurse。Aftershehadeatenhericesheopenedthepurseandtookoutaone—dollarbill。
\"Mr。Farrington，\"shesaid，withthesmilethathadwontheHotelLotus，\"Iwanttotellyousome—
thing。I’mgoingtoleavebeforebreakfastinthemorning，becauseI’vegottogobacktomywork。
I’mbehindthehosierycounteratCasey’sMammothStore，andmyvacation’supateighto’clockto—
morrow。Thatpaper—dollaristhelastcentI’llseetillIdrawmyeightdollarssalarynextSaturdaynight。You’rearealgentleman，andyou’vebeengoodtome，andIwantedtotellyoubeforeIwent。
I’vebeensavingupoutofmywagesforayearjustforthisvacation。IwantedtospendoneweeklikealadyifIneverdoanotherone。IwantedtogetupwhenIpleaseinsteadofhavingtocrawloutatseveneverymorning;andIwantedtoliveonthebestandbewaitedonandringbellsforthingsjustlikerichfolksdo。NowI’vedoneit，andI’vehadthehappiesttimeIeverexpecttohaveinmylife。I’mgoingbacktomyworkandmylittlehallbedroomsatisfiedforanotheryear。Iwantedtotellyouaboutit，Mr。Farrington，becauseI——Ithoughtyoukindoflikedme，andI——Ilikedyou。But，oh，I
couldn’thelpdeceivingyouuptillnow，foritwasalljustlikeafairytaletome。SoItalkedaboutEu—
ropeandthethingsI’vereadaboutinothercountries，andmadeyouthinkIwasagreatlady。
\"ThisdressI’vegoton——it’stheonlyoneIhavethat’sfittowear——IboughtfromO’Dowd&Levin—
skyontheinstalmentplan。\"
\"Seventy—fivedollarsistheprice，anditwasmadetomeasure。Ipaid$10down，andthey’retocollect$1aweektillit’spaidfor。That’llbeaboutallI
havetosay，Mr。Farrington，exceptthatmynameisMamieSiviterinsteadofMadameBeaumont，andI
thankyouforyourattentions。Thisdollarwillpaytheinstalmentdueonthedressto—morrow。IguessI’llgouptomyroomnow。\"
HaroldFarringtonlistenedtotherecitaloftheLotus’sloveliestguestwithanimpassivecountenance。
Whenshehadconcludedhedrewasmallbooklikeacheckbookfromhiscoatpocket。Hewroteuponablankforminthiswithastubofpencil，toreouttheleaf，tosseditovertohiscompanionandtookupthepaperdollar。
\"I’vegottogotowork，too，inthemorning，\"hesaid，\"andImightaswellbeginnow。There’sareceiptforthedollarinstalment。I’vebeenacol—
lectorforO’Dowd&Levinskyforthreeyears。
Funny，ain’tit，thatyouandmebothhadthesameideaaboutspendingourvacation？I’vealwayswantedtoputupataswellhotel，andIsavedupoutofmytwentyper，anddidit。Say，Mame，howaboutatriptoConeySaturdaynightontheboatwhat？\"
ThefaceofthepseudoMadameHeloiseD’ArcyBeaumontbeamed。
\"Oh，youbetI’llgo，Mr。Farrington。ThestoreclosesattwelveonSaturdays。IguessConey’llbeallrightevenifwedidspendaweekwiththeswells。\"
BelowthebalconytheswelteringcitygrowledandbuzzedintheJulynight。InsidetheHotelLotusthetempered，coolshadowsreigned，andthesolicitouswaitersingle—footednearthelowwindows，readyatanodtoserveMadameandherescort。
AtthedooroftheelevatorFarringtontookhisleave，andMadameBeaumontmadeherlastascent。
Butbeforetheyreachedthenoiselesscagebesaid：
\"Justforgetthat’HaroldFarrington，’willyou？
McManusisthename——JamesMcManus。SomecallmeJimmy。\"
\"Good—night，Jimmy，\"saidMadame。
THERATHSKELLERANDTHEROSE
MissPosieCarringtonhadearnedhersuc—
cess。Shebeganlifehandicappedbythefamilynameof\"Boggs，\"inthesmalltownknownasCranberryCorners。Attheageofeighteenshehadacquiredthenameof\"Carrington\"andapositioninthechorusofametropolitanburlesquecompany。
Thenceupwardshehadascendedbythelegitimateanddelectablestepsof\"broiler，\"memberofthefamous\"Dickey—bird\"octette，inthesuccessfulmusicalcomedy，\"FudgeandFellows，\"leaderofthepotato—
bugdancein\"Fol—de—Rol，\"andatlengthtothepartofthemaid\"’Toinette\"in\"TheKing’sBath—Robe，\"
whichcapturedthecriticsandgaveherherchance。
AndwhenwecometoconsiderMissCarringtonsheisintheheydeyofflattery，fameandfizz;andthatastutemanager，HerrTimothyGoldstein，hashersignaturetoiron—cladpapersthatshewillstarthecomingseasoninDydeRich’snewplay，\"ParesisbyGaslight。\"
PromptlytherecametoHerrTimothyacapabletwentieth—centuryyoungcharacteractorbythenameofHighsmith，whobesoughtengagementas\"SolHaytosser，\"thecomicandchiefmalecharacterpartin\"ParesisbyGaslight。\"
\"Myboy，\"saidGoldstein，\"takethepartifyoucangetit。MissCarringtonwon’tlistentoanyofmysuggestions。Shehasturneddownhalfadozenofthebestimitatorsoftheruraldubinthecity。
Shedeclaresshewon’tsetafootonthestageun—
less’Haytosser’isthebestthatcanberakedup——
Shewasraisedinavillage，youknow，andwhenaBroadwayorchidsticksastrawinhishairandtriestocallhimselfacloverblossomshe’son，allright。
Iaskedher，inasarcasticvein，ifshethoughtDen—
manThompsonwouldmakeanykindofashowinthepart。’Oh，no，’saysshe。’Idon’twanthimorJohnDreworJimCorbettoranyoftheseswellactorsthatdon’tknowaturnipfromaturnstile。I
wanttherealarticle。’So，myboy，ifyouwanttoplayI’SolHaytosser’youwillhavetoconvinceMissCarrington。Luckbewithyou。\"
HighsmithtookthetrainthenextdayforCran—
berryCorners。Heremainedinthatforsakenandinanimatevillagethreedays。HefoundtheBoggsfamilyandcorkscrewedtheirhistoryuntothethirdandfourthgeneration。HeamassedthefactsandthelocalcolorofCranberryCorners。ThevillagehadnotgrownasrapidlyashadMissCarrington。TheactorestimatedthatithadsufferedasfewactualchangessincethedepartureofitssolitaryfollowerofThespisashadastageuponwhich\"fouryearsissupposedtohaveelapsed。\"HeabsorbedCran—
berryCornersandreturnedtothecityofchameleonchanges。
ItwasintherathskellerthatHighsmithmadethehitofhishistrioniccareer。Thereisnoneedtonametheplace;thereisbutonerathskellerwhereyoucouldhopetofindMissPosieCarringtonafteraperformanceof\"TheKing’sBath—Robe。\"
Therewasajollysmallpartyatoneofthetablesthatdrewmanyeyes。MissCarrington，petite，mar—
vellous，bubbling，electric，fame—drunken，shallbenamedfirst。HerrGoldsteinfollows，sonorous，curly—
haired，heavy，atrifleanxious，assomebearthathadcaught，somehow，abutterflyinhisclaws。Next，amancondemnedtoanewspaper，sad，courted，armed，analyzingforpressagent’sdrosseverysen—
tencethatwaspouredoverhim，eatinghisalaNew—
burginthesilenceofgreatness。Toconclude，ayouthwithpartedhair，anamethatisochretoredjournalsandgoldonthebackofasuppercheck。
Thesesatatatablewhilethemusiciansplayed，whilewaitersmovedinthemazyperformanceoftheirdutieswiththeirbackstowardallwhodesiredtheirservice，andallwasbizarreandmerrybecauseitwasninefeetbelowthelevelofthesidewalk。
At11。45abeingenteredtherathskeller。ThefirstviolinperceptiblyflattedaCthatshouldhavebeennatural;theclarionetblewabubbleinsteadofagracenote;MissCarringtongiggledandtheyouthwithpartedhairswallowedanoliveseed。
Exquisitelyandirreproachablyruralwasthenewentry。Alank，disconcerted，hesitatingyoungmanitwas，flaxen—haired，gapingofmouth，awkward，strickentomiserybythelightsandcompany。Hisclothingwasbutternut，withbrightbluetie，showingfourinchesofbonywristandwhite—sockedankle。
Heupsetachair，satinanotherone，curledafootaroundatablelegandcringedattheapproachofawaiter。
\"Youmayfetchmeaglassoflagerbeer，\"hesaid，inresponsetothediscreetquestioningoftheservitor。
Theeyesoftherathskellerwereuponhim。Hewasasfreshasacollardandasingenuousasahayrake。
Helethiseyeroveabouttheplaceasonewhore—
gards，big—eyed，hogsinthepotatopatch。HisgazerestedatlengthuponMissCarrington。Heroseandwenttohertablewithalateral，shiningsmileandablushofpleasedtrepidation。
\"How’reye，MissPosie？\"hesaidinaccentsnottobedoubted。\"Don’tyerememberme—BillSum—
mers—theSummersesthatlivedbackoftheblack—
smithshop？IreckonI’vegrowedupsomesinceyeleftCranberryCorners。
\"’LizaPerry’lowedImightseeyeinthecitywhileIwashere。Youknow’LizamarriedBennyStanfield，andshesays——\"
\"Ah，say！\"interruptedMissCarrington，brightly，\"LizePerryisnevermarried—what！Oh，thefrecklesofher！\"
\"MarriedinJune，\"grinnedthegossip，\"andlivin’
intheoldTatumPlace。HamRileyperfessedreli—
gion;oldMrs。BlitherssoldherplacetoCap’nSpooner;theyoungestWatersgirlrunawaywithamusicteacher;thecourt—houseburneduplastMarch;
youruncleWileywaselectedconstable;MatildaHos—
kinsdiedfromrunnin’aneedleinherhand，andTomBeedleiscourtin’SallieLathrop—theysayhedon’tmissanightbutwhathe’ssettin’ontheirporch。\"
\"Thewall—eyedthing！\"exclaimedMissCarring—
ton，withasperity。\"Why，TomBeedleonce——say，youfolks，excusemeawhile——thisisanoldfriendofmine——Mr。——whatwasit？Yes，Mr。Summers——Mr。Goldstein，Mr。Ricketts，Mr。——Oh，what’syours？’Johnny’’lldo——comeonoverhereandtellmesomemore。\"
Sheswepthimtoanisolatedtableinacorner。
HerrGoldsteinshruggedhisfatshouldersandbeck—
onedtothewaiter。Thenewspapermanbrightenedalittleandmentionedabsinthe。Theyouthwithpartedhairwasplungedintomelancholy。Theguestsoftherathskellerlaughed，clinkedglassesandenjoyedthecomedythatPosieCarringtonwastreat—
ingthemtoafterherregularperformance。Afewcynicaloneswhispered\"pressagent\"’andsmiledwisely。
PosieCarringtonlaidherdimpledanddesirablechinuponherhands，andforgotheraudience——afacultythathadwonherlaurelsforher。
\"Idon’tseemtorecollectanyBillSummers，\"shesaid，thoughtfullygazingstraightintotheinnocentblueeyesoftherusticyoungman。\"ButIknowtheSummerses，allright。Iguessthereain’tmanychangesintheoldtown。Youseeanyofmyfolkslately？\"
AndthenHighsmithplayedhistrump。Thepartof\"SolHaytosser\"calledforpathosaswellascomedy。MissCarringtonshouldseethathecoulddothataswell。
\"MissPosie，\"said\"BillSummers，\"\"Iwasuptoyourfolkeseshousejisttwoorthreedaysago。No，thereain’tmanychangestospeakof。Thelilacbushbythekitchenwindowisoverafoothigher，andtheelminthefrontyarddiedandhadtobecutdown。
Andyetitdon’tseemthesameplacethatitusedtobe。\"
\"How’sma？\"askedMissCarrington。
\"Shewassettin’bythefrontdoor，crochetingalamp—matwhenIsawherlast，\"said\"Bill。\"\"She’solder’nshewas，MissPosie。Buteverythinginthehouselookedjestthesame。Yourmaaskedmetosetdown。’Don’ttouchthatwillowrocker，William，\"
saysshe。’Itain’tbeenmovedsincePosieleft;andthat’stheapronshewashemmin’，layin’overthearmofit，jistassheflungit。I’minhopes，’shegoeson，thatPosie’llfinishrunnin’outthathemsomeday。’\"
MissCarringtonbeckonedperemptorilytoawaiter。
\"Apintofextradry，\"sheordered，briefly;\"andgivethechecktoGoldstein。\"
\"Thesunwasshinin’inthedoor，\"wentonthechroniclerfromCranberry，\"andyourmawassettin’
rightinit。Iaskedherifshehadn’tbettermovebackalittle。’William，’saysshe，’whenIgetsotdownandlookin’downtheroad，Ican’tbeartomove。
Neveraday，’saysshe，’butwhatIsethereeveryminutethatIcanspareandwatchoverthempalin’sforPosie。Shewentawaydownthatroadinthenight，forweseenherlittleshoetracksinthedust，andsomethin’tellsmeshe’llcomebackthatwayag’inwhenshe’swearyoftheworldandbeginstothinkaboutheroldmother。\"
\"WhenIwascomin’away，\"concluded\"Bill，\"
\"Ipulledthisoff’nthebushbythefrontsteps。I
thoughtmaybeImightseeyouinthecity，andI
knowedyou’dlikesomethin’fromtheoldhome。\"
Hetookfromhiscoatpocketarose—adrooping，yellow，velvet，odorousrose，thathungitsbeadinthefoulatmosphereofthattaintedrathskellerlikeavirginbowingbeforethehotbreathofthelionsinaRomanarena。
MissCarrington’spenetratingbutmusicallaughroseabovetheorcbestra’srenderingof\"Bluebells。\"
\"Oh，say！\"shecried，withglee，\"ain’tthosepokyplacesthelimit？IjustknowthattwohoursatCranberryCornerswouldgivemethehorrorsnow。
Well，I’mawfulgladtohaveseenyou，Mr。Summers。
GuessI’llbustlearoundtothehotelnowandgetmybeautysleep。\"
Shethrusttheyellowroseintothebosomofherwonderful，dainty，silkengarments，stoodupandnoddedimperiouslyatHerrGoldstein。
Herthreecompanionsand\"BillSummers\"at—
tendedhertohercab。Whenherflouncesandstreamerswereallsafelytuckedinsideshedazzledthemwithaurevoirsfromhershiningeyesandteeth。
\"Comearoundtothehotelandseeme，Bill，beforeyouleavethecity，\"shecalledastheglitteringcabrolledaway。
Highsmith，stillinhismake—up，wentwithHerrGoldsteintoacafebooth。
\"Brightidea，eh？\"askedthesmilingactor。
\"Oughttoland’SolHaytosser’forme，don’tyouthink？Thelittleladyneveroncetumbled。\"
\"Ididn’tbearyourconversation，\"saidGoldstein，butyourmake—upandactingwas0。K。Here’stoyoursuccess。You’dbettercallonMissCarringtonearlyto—morrowandstrikeherforthepart。Idon’tseehowshecankeepfrombeingsatisfiedwithyourexhibitionofability。\"
At11。45A。M。onthenextdayHighsmith，hand—
some，dressedinthelatestmode，confident，withafuchsiainhisbutton—bole，sentuphiscardtoMissCarringtoninherselectapartmenthotel。
Hewasshownupandreceivedbytheactress’sFrenchmaid。
\"Iamsorree，\"saidMlle。Hortense，\"butIamtosaythistoall。Itiswithgreatregret。MeesCar—
ringtonhavecancelledallengagementsonthestageandhavereturnedtoliveinthathowyoucallthattown？CranberryCornaire！\"
THECLARIONCALL
HalfofthisstorycanbefoundintherecordsofthePoliceDepartment;theotherhalfbelongbehindthebusinesscounterofanewspaperoffice。
OneafternoontwoweeksafterMillionaireNor—
crosswasfoundinhisapartmentmurderedbyabur—
glar，themurderer，whilestrollingserenelydownBroadwayranplumpagainstDetectiveBarneyWoods。
\"Isthatyou，JohnnyKernan？\"askedWoods，whohadbeennear—sightedinpublicforfiveyears。
\"Noless，\"criedKernan，heartily。\"Ifitisn’tBarneyWoods，lateandearlyofoldSaintJo！
You’llhavetoshowme！WhatareyoudoingEast？
Dothegreen—goodscircularsgetoutthatfar？\"
saidWoods。
\"I’vebeeninNewYorksomeyears，I’monthecitydetectiveforce。\"
\"Well，well！\"saidKernan，breathingsmilingjoyandpattingthedetective’sarm。
\"ComeintoMuller’s，\"saidWoods，\"andlet’shuntaquiettable。I’dliketotalktoyouawhile。\"
Itlackedafewminutestothehouroffour。Thetidesoftradewerenotyetloosed，andtheyfoundaquietcornerofthecafe。Kernan，welldressedSlightlyswaggering，self—confident，seatedhimselfop—
positethelittledetective，withhispale，sandymus—
tache，squintingeyesandready—madecheviotsuit。
\"Whatbusinessareyouinnow？\"askedWoods。
\"YouknowyouleftSaintJoayearbeforeIdid。\"
\"I’msellingsharesinacoppermine，\"saidKer—
nan。\"Imayestablishanofficehere。Well，well！
andsooldBarneyisaNewYorkdetective。Youalwayshadaturnthatway。Youwereonthepo—
liceinSaintJoafterIleftthere，weren’tyou？\"
\"Sixmonths，\"saidWoods。\"Andnowthere’sonemorequestion，Johnny。I’vefollowedyourrecordprettycloseeversinceyoudidthathoteljobinSara—
toga，andIneverknewyoutouseyourgunbefore。
WhydidyoukillNorcross？\"
Kernanstaredforafewmomentswithconcen—
tratedattentionatthesliceoflemoninhishigh—ball;
andthenbelookedatthedetectivewithasudden，crooked，brilliantsmile。
\"Howdidyouguessit，Barney？\"heasked，ad—
miringly。\"IswearIthoughtthejobwasascleanandassmoothasapeeledonion。DidIleaveastringhangingoutanywhere？\"
Woodslaiduponthetableasmallgoldpencilin—
tendedforawatch—charm。
\"It’stheoneIgaveyouthelastChristmaswewereinSaintJo。I’vegotyourshavingmugyet。
IfoundthisunderacorneroftheruginNorcross’sroom。Iwarnyoutobecarefulwhatyousay。I’vegotitputontoyou，Johnny。Wewereoldfriendsonce，butImustdomyduty。You’llhavetogotothechairforNorcross。\"Kernanlaughed。
\"Myluckstayswithme，\"saidbe。\"Who’dhavethoughtoldBarneywasonmytrail！\"Heslippedonehandinsidehiscoat。InaninstantWoodshadarevolveragainsthisside。
\"Putitaway，\"saidKernan，wrinklinghisnose。
\"I’monlyinvestigating。Aha！Ittakesninetailorstomakeaman，butonecandoamanup。There’saholeinthatvestpocket。Itookthatpenciloffmychainandslippeditinthereincaseofascrap。Putupyourgun，Barney，andI’lltellyouwhyIhadtoshootNorcross。Theoldfoolstarteddownthehallafterme，poppingatthebuttonsonthebackofmycoatwithapeevishlittle。22andIhadtostophim。Theoldladywasadarling。Shejustlayinbedandsawher$12，000diamondnecklacegowith—
outachirp，whileshebeggedlikeapanhandlertohavebackalittlethingoldringwithagarnetworthabout$3。1guessshemarriedoldNorcrossforhismoney，allright。Don’ttheyhangontothelittletrinketsfromtheManWhoLostOut，though？
Thereweresixrings，twobroochesandachatelainewatch。Fifteenthousandwouldcoverthelot。\"
\"Iwarnedyounottotalk，\"saidWoods。
\"Oh，that’sallright，\"saidKernan。\"Thestuffisinmysuitcaseatthehotel。AndnowI’lltellyouwhyI’mtalking。Becauseit’ssafe。I’mtalkingtoamanIknow。Youowemeathousanddollars，Bar—
neyWoods，andevenifyouwantedtoarrestmeyourhandwouldn’tmakethemove。\"
\"Ihaven’tforgotten，\"saidWoods。\"Youcountedouttwentyfiftieswithoutaword。I’llpayitbacksomeday。Thatthousandsavedmeand——well，theywerepilingmyfurnitureoutonthesidewalkwhenI
gotbacktothehouse。\"
\"Andso，\"continuedKernan，\"youbeingBarneyWoods，bornastrueassteel，andboundtoplayawhiteman’sgame，can’tliftafingertoarrestthemanyou’reindebtedto。Oh，IhavetostudymenaswellasYalelocksandwindowfasteningsinmybusiness。Now，keepquietwhileIringforthewaiter。I’vehadathirstforayearortwothatwor—
riesmealittle。IfI’mevercaughttheluckysleuthwillhavetodividehonorswitholdboyBooze。ButI
neverdrinkduringbusinesshours。AfterajobI
cancrookelbowswithmyoldfriendBarneywithaclearconscience。Whatareyoutaking？\"
Thewaitercamewiththelittledecantersandthesiphonandleftthemaloneagain。
\"You’vecalledtheturn，\"saidWoods，asherolledthelittlegoldpencilaboutwithathoughtfulfore—
finger。I’vegottopassyouup。Ican’tlayahandonyou。IfI’da—paidthatmoneyback——butIdidn’t，andthatsettlesit。It’sabadbreakI’mmaking，Johnny，butIcan’tdodgeit。Youhelpedmeonce，anditcallsforthesame。\"
\"Iknewit，\"saidKernan，raisinghisglass，withaflushedsmileofself—appreciation。\"Icanjudgemen。Here’stoBarney，for——’he’sajollygoodfellow。’\"
\"Idon’tbelieve，\"wentonWoodsquietly，asifbewerethinkingaloud，\"thatifaccountshadbeensquarebetweenyouandme，allthemoneyinallthebanksinNewYorkcouldhaveboughtyououtofmyhandsto—night。\"
\"Iknowitcouldn’t，\"saidKernan。\"That’swhyIknewIwassafewithyou。\"
\"Mostpeople，\"continuedthedetective，\"lookside—
waysatmybusiness。Theydon’tclassitamongthefineartsandtheprofessions。ButI’vealwaystakenakindoffoolprideinit。AndhereiswhereIgo’busted。’IguessI’mamanfirstandadetectiveafterward。I’vegottoletyougo，andthenI’vegottoresignfromtheforce。IguessIcandriveanex—
presswagon。Yourthousanddollarsisfurtheroffthanever，Johnny。\"
\"Oh，you’rewelcometoit，\"saidKernan，withalordlyair。\"I’dbewillingtocallthedebtoff，butIknowyouwouldn’thaveitItwasaluckydayformewhenyouborrowedit。Andnow，let’sdropthesubject。I’mofftotheWestonamorningtrain。
IknowaplaceouttherewhereIcannegotiatetheNorcrosssparks。Drinkup，Barney，andforgetyourtroubles。We’llhaveajollytimewhilethepoliceareknockingtheirheadstogetheroverthecase。
I’vegotoneofmySaharathirstsonto—night。ButI’minthebands——theunofficialbands——ofmyoldfriendBarney，andIwon’tevendreamofacop。\"
Andthen，asKernan’sreadyfingerkeptthebut—
tonandthewaiterworking，hisweakpoint——atre—
mendousvanityandarrogantegotism，begantoshowitself。Herecountedstoryafterstoryofhissuc—
cessfulplunderings，ingeniousplotsandinfamoustransgressionsuntilWoods，withallhisfamiliaritywithevil—doers，feltgrowingwithinhimacoldab—
horrencetowardtheutterlyviciousmanwhohadoncebeenhisbenefactor。
\"I’mdisposedof，ofcourse，\"saidWoods，atlength。\"ButIadviseyoutokeepundercoverforaspell。ThenewspapersmaytakeupthisNorcrossaffair。Therehasbeenanepidemicofburglariesandmanslaughterintownthissummer。\"
ThewordsentKernanintoahighglowofsullenandvindictiverage。
\"Tohellwiththenewspapers，\"hegrowled。
\"Whatdotheyspellbutbragandblowandboodleinbox—carletters？Supposetheydotakeupacasewhatdoesitamountto？Thepoliceareeasyenoughtofool;butwhatdothenewspapersdo？Theysendalotofpin—headreportersaroundtothescene;andtheymakeforthenearestsaloonandhavebeerwhiletheytakephotosofthebartender’soldestdaughterineveningdress，toprintasthefianceeoftheyoungmaninthetenthstory，whothoughtheheardanoisebelowonthenightofthemurder。That’saboutasnearasthenewspapersevercometorunningdownMr。Burglar。\"
\"Well，Idon’tknow，\"saidWoods，reflecting。