下载辰思小说免费APP
FinallyhelandedGoreebytellinghimhewascountinguponhishelpintheengineeringandtransportationofalargeamountoffelledtimberfromahighmountain-sidetoawaterway。HeknewthatGoreehadonceinventedadeviceforthispurpose——aseriesofslidesandchutes-
uponwhichhehadjustlypridedhimself。Inaninstantthepoorfellow，delightedattheideaofhisbeingofusetoanyone，hadpaperspreaduponthetable，andwasdrawingrapidbutpitifullyshakylinesindemonstrationofwhathecouldandwoulddo。
Themanwassickenedofthehusks；hisprodigalheartwasturningagaintowardthemountains。Hismindwasyetstrangelyclogged，andhisthoughtsandmemorieswerereturningtohisbrainonebyone，likecarrierpigeonsoverastormysea。ButColtranewassatisfiedwiththeprogresshehadmade。
Bethelreceivedthesurpriseofitsexistencethatafter-
noonwhenaColtraneandaGoreerodeamicablytogetherthroughthetown。Sidebysidetheyrode，outfromthedustystreetsandgapingtownspeople，downacrossthecreekbridge，anduptowardthemountain。Theprodigalhadbrushedandwashedandcombedhimselftoamoredecentfigure，buthewasunsteadyinthesaddle，andheseemedtobedeepinthecontemplationofsomevexingproblem。Coltranelefthiminhismood，relyingupontheinfluenceofchangedsurroundingstorestorehisequilibrium。
OnceGoreewasseizedwithashakingfit，andalmostcametoacollapse。Hehadtodismountandrestatthesideoftheroad。Thecolonel，foreseeingsuchacon-
dition，hadprovidedasmallflaskofwhiskyforthejourneybutwhenitwasofferedtohimGoreerefuseditalmostwithviolence，declaringhewouldnevertouchitagain。
Byandbyhewasrecovered，andwentquietlyenoughforamileortwo。Thenhepulleduphishorsesuddenly，andsaid:
"Ilosttwohundreddollarslastnight，playingpoker。
Now，wheredidIgetthatmoney？"
"Takeiteasy，Yancev。Themountainairwillsoonclearitup。We\'llgofishing，firstthing，atthePinnacleFalls。Thetroutarejumpingtherelikebullfrogs。We\'lltakeStellaandLucyalong，andhaveapicniconEagleRock。Haveyouforgottenhowahickory-cured-hamsandwichtastes，Yancey，toahungryfisherman？"
Evidentlythecoloneldidnotbelievethestoryofhislostwealth；soGoreeretiredagainintobroodingsilence。
BylateAfternoontheyhadtravelledtenofthetwelvemilesbetweenBethelandLaurel。HalfamilethissideofLaurellaytheoldGoreeplace；amileortwobeyondthevillagelivedtheColtranes。Theroadwasnowsteepandlaborious，butthecompensationsweremany。Thetiltedaislesoftheforestwereopulentwithleafandbirdandbloom。Thetonicairputtoshamethepharma-
cop鎖a。Thegladesweredarkwithmossyshade，andbrightwithshyrivuletswinkingfromthefernsandlaurels。Onthelowersidetheyviewed，framedinthenearfoilage，exquisitesketchesofthefarvalleyswooninginitsopalhaze。
Coltranewaspleasedtoseethathiscompanionwasyieldingtothespellofthehillsandwoods。FornowtheyhadbuttoskirtthebaseofPainter\'sCliff；tocrossElderBranchandmountthehillbeyond，andGoreewouldhavetofacethesquanderedhomeofhisfathers。
Everyrockhepassed，everytree，everyfootoftherockyway，wasfamiliartohim。Thoughhehidforgottenthewoods，theythrilledhimlikethemusicof"Home，SweetHome。"
Theyroundedthecliff，decendedintoElderBranch，andpausedtheretoletthehorsesdrinkandsplashintheswiftwater。Ontherightwasarailfencethatcorneredthere，andfollowedtheroadandstream。
Inclosedbyitwastheoldappleorchardofthehomeplace；thehousewasyetconcealedbythebrowofthesteephill。Insideandalongthefence，pokeberries，elders，sassafras，andsumacgrewhighanddense。Atarustleoftheirbranches，bothGoreeandColtraneglancedup，andsawalong，yellow，wolfishfaceabovethefence，staringatthemwithpale，unwinkingeyes。Theheadquickydisappeared；therewasaviolentswayingofthebushes，andanungainlyfigureranupthroughtheappleorchardinthedirectionofthehouse，zigzaggingamongthetrees。
"That\'sGarvey，"saidColtrane；"themanyousoldoutto。There\'snodoubtbuthe\'sconsiderablycracked。
Ihadtosendhimupformoonshining，once，severalyearsago，inspiteofthefactthatIbelievedhimirresponsible。
Why，what\'sthematter，Yancey？"
Goreewaswipinghisforehead，andhisfacehadlostitscolour。"DoIlookqueer，too？"heasked，tryingtosmile。"I\'mjustrememberingafewmorethings。"
Someofthealcoholhadevaporatedfromhisbrain。"I
recollectnowwhereIgotthattwohundreddollars。"
"Don\'tthinkofit，"saidColtranecheerfully。"Lateronwe\'llfigureitallouttogether。"
Theyrodeoutofthebranch，andwhentheyreachedthefootofthehillGoreestoppedagain。
"DidyoueversuspectIwasaveryvainkindoffellow，Colonel"heasked。"Sortoffoolishproudaboutappearances？"
Thecolonel\'seyesrefusedtowandertothesoiled，sag-
gingsuitofflaxandthefadedslouchhat。
"Itseemstome，"hereplied，mystified，buthumouringhim，"Irememberayoungbuckabouttwenty，withthetightestcoat，thesleekesthair，andtheprancingestsaddlehorseintheBlueRidge。"
"Rightyouare，"saidGoreeeagerly。"Andit\'sinmeyet，thoughitdon\'tshow。Oh，I\'masvainasaturkeygobbler，andasproudasLucifer。I\'mgoingtoaskyoutoindulgethisweaknessofmineinalittlematter。"
"Speakout，Yancey。We\'llcreateyouDukeofLaurelandBaronofBlueRidge，ifyouchoose；andyoushallhaveafeatheroutofStella\'speacock\'stailtowearinyourhat。"
"I\'minearnest。Inafewminuteswe\'llpassthehouseupthereonthehillwhereIwasborn，andwheremypeoplehavelivedfornearlyacentury。Strangerslivetherenow——andlookatme!Iamabouttoshowmyselftothemraggedandpoverty-stricken，awastrelandabeggar。ColonelColtrane，I\'mashamedtodoit。I
wantyoutoletmewearyourcoatandhatuntilweareoutofsightbeyond。Iknowyouthinkitafoolishpride，butIwanttomakeasgoodashowingasIcanwhenIpasstheoldplace。"
"Now，whatdoesthismean？"saidColtranetohim-
self，ashecomparedhiscompanion\'ssanelooksandquietdemeanourwithhisstrangerequest。Buthewasalreadyunbuttoningthecoat，assentingreadily，asifthefancywereinnowisetobeconsideredstrange。
ThecoatandhatfittedGoreewell。Hebuttonedtheformerabouthimwithalookofsatisfactionanddignity。HeandColtranewerenearlythesamesize——
rathertall，portly，anderect。Twenty-fiveyearswerebetweenthem，butinappearancetheymighthavebeenbrothers。Goreelookedolderthanhisage；
hisfacewaspuffyandlined；thecolonelhadthesmooth，freshcomplexionofatemperateliver。HeputonGoree\'sdisreputableoldflaxcoatandfadedslouchhat。
"Now，"saidGoree，takingupthereins，"I\'mallright。Iwantyoutorideabouttenfeetintherearaswegoby，Colonel，sothattheycangetagoodlookatme。
They\'llseeI\'mnobacknumberyet，byanymeans。I
guessI\'llshowupprettywelltothemoncemore，any-
how。Let\'srideon。"
Hesetoutupthehillatasmarttrot，thecolonelfol-
lowing，ashehadbeenrequested。
Goreesatstraightinthesaddle，withheaderect，buthiseyeswereturnedtotheright，sharplyscanningeveryshrubandfenceandhiding-placeintheoldhomesteadyard。Oncehemutteredtohimself，"Willthecrazyfooltryit，ordidIdreamhalfofit？"
Itwaswhenhecameoppositethelittlefamilyburyinggroundthathesawwhathehadbeenlookingfor——apuffofwhitesmoke，comingfromthethickcedarsinonecomer。HetoppledsoslowlytotheleftthatColtranehadtimetourgehishorsetothatside，andcatchhimwithonearm。
Thesquirrelhunterhadnotoverpraisedhisaim。Hehadsentthebulletwhereheintended，andwhereGoreehadexpectedthatitwouldpass-throughthebreastofColonelAbnerColtrane\'sblackfrockcoat。
GoreeleanedheavilyagainstColtrane，buthedidnotfall。Thehorseskeptpace，sidebyside，andtheColonel\'sarmkepthimsteady。ThelittlewhitehousesofLaurelshonethroughthetrees，halfamileaway。GoreereachedoutonehandandgropeduntilitresteduponColtrane\'sfingers，whichheldhisbridle。
"Goodfriend，"hesaid，andthatwasall。
ThusdidYanceyGoree，asberodepasthisoldhome，make，consideringallthings，thebestshowingthatwasinhispower。
THESONGANDTHESERGEANT
Halfadozenpeoplesuppingatatableinoneoftheupper-Broadwayall-nightrestaurantsweremakingtoomuchnoise。Threetimesthemanagerwalkedpastthemwithapolitelywarningglance；buttheirargumenthadwaxedtoowarmtobequelledbyamanager\'sgaze。
Itwasmidnight，andtherestaurantwasfilledwithpatronsfromthetheatresofthatdistrict。SomeamongthedispersedaudiencesmusthaverecognizedamongthequarrelsomesextetthefacesoftheplayersbelongingtotheCarrollComedyCompany。
Fourofthesixmadeupthecompany。Anotherwastheauthorofthecomedietta，"AGayCoquette，"
whichthequartetteoflayershadbeenpresentingwithfairsuccessatseveralvaudevillehousesinthecity。Thesixthatthetablewasapersoninconsequentintherealmofart，butoneatwhosebiddingmanylobstershadperished。
Loudlythesixmaintainedtheirclamorousdebate。
NooneofthePartywassilentexceptwhenanswerswerestormedfromhimbytheexcitedones。Thatwasthecomedianof"AGayCoquette。"Hewasayoungmanwithafaceeventoomelancholyforhisprofession。
TheoralwarfareoffourimmoderatetongueswasdirectedatMissClariceCarroll，thetwinklingstarofthesmallaggregation。Exceptingthedowncastcomedian，allmembersofthepartyunitedincastinguponherwithvehemencetheblameofsomemomentousmisfortune。
Fiftytimestheytoldher:"Itisyourfault，Clarice-
itisyoualonewhospoiltthescene。Itisonlyoflatethatyouhaveactedthisway。Atthisratethesketchwillhavetobetakenoff。"
MissCarrollwasamatchforanyfour。Gallicancestrygaveheravivacitythatcouldeasilymounttofury。Herlargeeyesflashedascorchingdenialatheraccusers。Herslender，eloquentarmsconstantlymenacedthetableware。
Herhigh，clearsopranovoicerosetowhatwouldhavebeenascreamhaditnotpossessedsopureamusicalquality。Shehurledbackattheattackingfourtheirdenunciationsintonessweet，butoftoogreatcarryingpowerforaBroadwayrestaurant。
Finallytheyexhaustedherpatiencebothasawomanandanartist。Shespranguplikeapanther，managedtosmashhalfadozenplatesandglasseswithoneroyalsweepofherarm，anddefiedhercritics。Theyroseandwrangledmoreloudly。Thecomediansighedandlookedatriflesadderanddisinterested。Themanagercametrippingandsuggestedpeace。HewastoldtogotothepopularsynonymforwarsopromptlythattheaffairmighthavehappenedatTheHague。
Thuswasthemanagerangered。Hemadeasignwithhishandandawaiterslippedoutofthedoor。Intwentyminutesthepartyofsixwasinapolicestationfacingagrizzledandphilosophicaldesksergeant。
"Disorderlyconductinarestaurant，"saidthepolice-
manwhohadbroughtthepartyin。
Theauthorof"AGayCoquette"steppedtothefront。
Heworenose-glassesandeveningclothes，evenifhisshoeshadbeentansbeforetheymetthepatent-leather-polishbottle。
"Mr。Sergeant，"saidhe，outofhisthroat，likeActorIrving，"Iwouldliketoprotestagainstthisarrest。ThecompanyofactorswhoareperforminginalittleplaythatIhavewritten，incompanywithafriendandmyselfwerehavingalittlesupper。Webecamedeeplyinterestedinthediscussionastowhichoneofthecastisresponsibleforasceneinthesketchthatlatelyhasfallensoflatthatthepieceisabouttobecomeafailure。Wemayhavebeenrathernoisyandintolerantofinterruptionbytherestaurantpeople；butthematterwasofconsiderableimportancetoallofus。Youseethatwearesoberandarenotthekindofpeoplewhodesiretoraisedisturbances。
Ihopethatthecasewillnotbepressedandthatwemaybeallowedtogo。"
"Whomakesthecharge？"askedthesergeant。
"Me，"saidawhite-apronedvoiceintherear。"Derestaurantsentmeto。Degangwasraisin\'arough-
houseandbreakin\'dishes。"
"Thedisheswerepaidfor，"saidtheplaywright。
"Theywerenotbrokenpurposely。Inheranger，becauseweremonstratedwithherforspoilingthescene，Miss——"
"It\'snottrue，sergeant，"criedtheclearvoiceofMiss。
ClariceCarroll。Inalongcoatoftansilkandared-
plumedhat，sheboundedbeforethedesk。
"It\'snotmyfault，"shecriedindignantly。"How-
daretheysaysuchathing!I\'veplayedthetitler鬺eeversinceitwasstaged，andifyouwanttoknowwhomadeitasuccess，askthepublic——that\'sall。"
"WhatMissCarrollsaysistrueinpart，"saidtheauthor。"Forfivemonthsthecomediettawasadrawing-
cardinthebesthouses。Butduringthelasttwoweeksithaslostfavour。ThereisonesceneinitinwhichMissCarrollmadeabighit。Nowshehardlygetsahandoutofit。Shespoilsitbyactingitentirelydifferentfromheroldway。"
"Itisnotmyfault，"reiteratedtheactress。
"Thereareonlytwoofyouoninthescene，"arguedtheplaywrighthotly，"youandDelmars，here——"
"Thenit\'shisfault，"declaredMissCarroll，withalightningglanceofscornfromherdarkeyes。Thecomediancaughtit，andgazedwithincreasedmelancholyatthepanelsofthesergeant\'sdesk。
Thenightwasadulloneinthatparticularpolicestation。
Thesergeant\'slong-bluntedcuriosityawokealittle。
"I\'veheardyou，"hesaidtotheauthor。Andthenheaddressedthethin-facedandascetic-lookingladyofthecompanywhoplayed"AuntTurnip-top"inthelittlecomedy。
"Whodoyouthinkspoilsthesceneyouarefussingabout？"heasked。
"I\'mnoknocker，"saidthatlady，"andeverybodyknowsit。So，whenIsaythatClaricefallsdowneverytimeinthatsceneI\'mjudgingherartandnotherself。
Shewasgreatinitonce。Shedoesitsomethingfiercenow。It\'lldopetheshowifshekeepsitup。"
Thesergeantlookedatthecomedian。
"Youandtheladyhavethisscenetogether，Iunder-
stand。Isupposethere\'snouseaskingyouwhichoneofyouqueersit？"
ThecomedianavoidedthedirectraysfromthetwofixedstarsofMissCarroll\'seyes。
"Idon\'tknow，"hesaid，lookingdownathispatent-
leathertoes。
"Areyouoneoftheactors？"askedthesergeantofadwarfishyouthwithamiddle-agedface。
"Why，say!"repliedthelastThespianwitness，"youdon\'tnoticeanytinspearinmyhands，doyou？Youhaven\'theardmeshout:\'See，theEmperorcomes!\'sinceI\'vebeeninhere，haveyou？IguessI\'monthestagelongenoughfor\'emnottostartapanicbymistakingmeforathincurlofsmokerisingabovethefootlights。"
"Inyouropinion，ifyou\'vegotone，"saidthesergeant，"isthefrostthatgathersonthesceneinquestiontheworkoftheladyorthegentlemanwhotakespartinit？"
Themiddle-agedyouthlookedpained。
"Iregrettosay，"heanswered，"thatMissCarrollseemstohavelosthergriponthatscene。She\'sallrightintherestoftheplay，but——butItellyou，sergeant，shecandoit——shehasdoneitequaltoanyof\'em——andshecandoitagain。"
MissCarrollranforward，glowingandpalpitating。
"Thankyou，Jimmy，forthefirstgoodwordI\'vehadinmanyaday，"shecried。Andthensheturnedhereagerfacetowardthedesk。
"I\'llshowyou，sergeant，whetherIamtoblame。I\'llshowthemwhetherIcandothatsame。Come，Mr。
Delmars；letusbegin。Youwillletus，won\'tyou，sergeant？"
"Howlongwillittake？"askedthesergeant，dubiously。
"Eightminutes，"saidtheplaywright。"Theentireplayconsumesbutthirty。"
"Youmaygoahead，"saidthesergeant。"Mostofyouseemtosideagainstthelittlelady。Maybeshehadarighttocrackupasaucerortwointhatrestaurant。
We\'llseehowshedoestheturnbeforewetakethatup。"
Thematronofthepolicestationhadbeenstandingnear，listeningtothesingularargument。Shecamenigherandstoodnearthesergeant\'schair。Twoorthreeofthereservesstrolledin，bigandyawning。
"Beforebeginningthescene，"saidtheplaywright，"andassumingthatyouhavenotseenaproductionof\'AGayCoquette，\'Iwillmakeabriefbutnecessaryexplanation。
Itisamusical-farce-comedy——burlesque-comedietta。
Asthetitleimplies，MissCarroll\'sr鬺eisthatofagay，rollicking，mischievous，heartlesscoquette。Shesustainsthatcharacterthroughouttheentirecomedypartoftheproduction。AndIhavedesignedtheextravaganzafeaturessothatshemaypreserveandpresentthesamecoquettishidea。
"Now，thesceneinwhichwetakeexceptiontoMissCarroll\'sactingiscalledthe\'gorilladance。\'Sheiscostumedtorepresentawoodnymph，andthereisagreatsong-and-dancescenewithagorilla——playedbyMr。
Delmars，thecomedian。Atropical-foreststageisset。
"Thatusedtogetfourandfiverecalls。Themainthingwastheactingandthedance——itwasthefunniestthinginNewYorkforfivemonths。Delmars\'ssong，\'I\'llWooTheetoMySylvanHome，\'whileheandMissCarrollwerecuttinghide-and-seekcapersamongthetropicalplants，wasawinner。"
"What\'sthetroublewiththescenenow？"askedthesergeant。
"MissCarrollspoilsitrightinthemiddleofit，"saidtheplaywrightwrathfully。
Withawidegestureofherever-movingarmstheactresswavedbackthelittlegroupofspectators，leavingaspaceinfrontofthedeskforthesceneofhervindicationorfall。Thenshewhippedoffherlongtancloakandtosseditacrossthearmofthepolicemanwhostillstoodofficiallyamongthem。
MissCarrollhadgonetosupperwellcloaked，butinthecostumeofthetropicwoodnymph。Askirtoffernleavestouchedherknee；shewaslikeahumming-
bird——greenandgoldenandpurple。
Andthenshedancedafluttering，fantasticdance，soagileandlightandmazyinherstepsthattheotherthreemembersoftheCarrollComedyCompanybrokeintoapplauseattheartofit。
AndatthepropertimeDelmarsleapedoutatherside，mimickingtheuncouth，hideousboundsofthegorillasofunnilythatthegrizzledsergeanthimselfgaveashortlaughliketheclosingofapadlock。Theydancedtogetherthegorilladance，andwonahandfromall。
Thenbeganthemostfantasticpartofthescene——
thewooingofthenymphbythegorilla。Itwasakindofdanceitself——eccentricandprankish，withthenymphcoquettishandseductiveretreat，followedbythegorillaashesang"I\'llWooTheetoMySylvanHome。"
Thesongwasalyricofmerit。Thewordswerenon-
sense，asbefittedtheplay，butthemusicwasworthyofsomethingbetter。Delmarsstruckintoitinarichtenorthatownedaqualitythatshamedtheflippantwords。
Duringoneverseofthesongthewoodnymphper-
formedthegrotesqueevolutionsdesignedforthescene。
Atthemiddleofthesecondverseshestoodstill，withastrangelookonherface，seemingtogazedreamilyintothedepthsofthescenicforest。Thegorilla\'slastleaphadbroughthimtoherfeet，andthereheknelt，holdingherhand，untilhehadfinishedthehaunting-lyricthatwassetintheabsurdcomedylikeadiamondinapieceofputty。
WhenDelmarsceasedMissCarrollstarted，andcoveredasuddenflowoftearswithbothhands。
"There!"criedtheplaywright，gesticulatingwithviolence；"thereyouhaveit，sergeant。Fortwoweeksshehasspoiledthatsceneinjustthatmannerateveryperformance。IhavebeggedhertoconsiderthatitisnotOpheliaorJulietthatsheisplaying。Doyouwondernowatourimpatience？Tearsforthegorillasong!
Theplayislost!"
Outofherbewitchment，whateveritwas，thewoodnymphflaredsuddenly，andpointedadesperatefingeratDelmars。
"Itisyou——youwhohavedonethis，"shecriedwildly。"Youneversangthatsongthatwayuntillately。
Itisyourdoing。"
"Igiveitup，"saidthesergeant。
Andthenthegray-hairedmatronofthepolicestationcameforwardfrombehindthesergeant\'schair。
"Mustanoldwomanteachyouall？"shesaid。ShewentuptoMissCarrollandtookherhand。
"Theman\'swearinghisheartoutforyou，mydear。
Couldn\'tyoutellitthefirstnoteyouheardhimsing？
Allofhismonkeyflip-flopswouldn\'thavekeptitfromme。Mustyoubedeafaswellasblind？That\'swhyyoucouldn\'tactyourpart，child。Doyoulovehimormusthebeagorillafortherestofhisdays？"
MissCarrollwhirledaroundandcaughtDelmarswithalightningglanceofhereye。Hecametowardher，melancholy。
"Didyouhear，Mr。Delmars？"sheasked，withacatchingbreath。
"Idid，"saidthecomedian。"Itistrue。Ididn\'tthinktherewasanyuse。Itriedtoletyouknowwiththesong。"
"Silly!"saidthematron；"whydidn\'tyouspeak？"
"No，no，"criedthewoodnymph，"hiswaywasthebest。Ididn\'tknow，but——itwasjustwhatIwanted，Bobby。"
Shespranglikeagreengrasshopper；andthecomedianopenedhisarms，and——smiled。
"Getoutofthis，"roaredthedesksergeanttothewaitingwaiterfromtherestaurant。"There\'snothingdoinghereforyou。"
ONEDOLLAR\'SWORTH
ThejudgeoftheUnitedStatescourtofthedistrictlyingalongtheRioGrandeborderfoundthefollowingletteronemorninginhismail:
JUDGE:
Whenyousentmeupforfouryearsyoumadeatalk。
Amongotherhardthings，youcalledmearattlesnake。
MaybeIamone——anyhow，youhearmerattlingnow。
OneyearafterIgottothepen，mydaughterdiedof——
well，theysaiditwaspovertyandthedisgracetogether。
You\'vegotadaughter，Judge，andI\'mgoingtomakeyouknowhowitfeelstoloseone。AndI\'mgoingtobitethatdistrictattorneythatspokeagainstme。I\'mfreenow，andIguessI\'veturnedtorattlesnakeallright。
Ifeellikeone。Idon\'tsaymuch，butthisismyrattle。
LookoutwhenIstrike。
Yoursrespectfully，RATTLESNAKE。
JudgeDerwentthrewthelettercarelesslyaside。Itwasnothingnewtoreceivesuchepistlesfromdesperatemenwhomhehadbeencalledupontojudge。Hefeltnoalarm。LateronheshowedthelettertoLittlefield，theyoungdistrictattorney，forLittlefield\'snamewasincludedinthethreat，andthejudgewaspunctiliousinmattersbetweenhimselfandhisfellowmen。
Littlefieldhonouredtherattleofthewriter，asfarasitconcernedhimself，withasmileofcontempt；buthefrownedalittleoverthereferencetotheJudge\'sdaughter，forheandNancyDerwentweretobemarriedinthefall。
Littlefieldwenttotheclerkofthecourtandlookedovertherecordswithhim。TheydecidedthatthelettermighthavebeensentbyMexicoSam，ahalf-breedborderdesperadowhohadbeenimprisonedformanslaughterfouryearsbefore。Thenofficialdutiescrowdedthemat-
terfromhismind，andtherattleoftherevengefulserpentwasforgotten。
CourtwasinsessionatBrownsville。Mostofthecasestobetriedwerechargesofsmuggling，counterfeiting，post-officerobberies，andviolationsofFederallawsalongtheborder。OnecasewasthatofayoungMexican，RafaelOrtiz，whohadbeenroundedupbyacleverdeputymarshalintheactofpassingacounterfeitsilverdollar。Hehadbeensuspectedofmanysuchdeviationsfromrectitude，butthiswasthefirsttimethatanythingprovablehadbeenfixeduponhim。Ortizlanguishedcozilyinjail，smokingbrowncigarettesandwaitingfortrial。Kilpatrick，thedeputy，broughtthecounterfeitdollarandhandedittothedistrictattorneyinhisofficeinthecourt-house。ThedeputyandareputabledruggistwerepreparedtoswearthatOrtizpaidforabottleofmedicinewithit。Thecoinwasapoorcounterfeit，soft，dull-looking，andmadeprincipallyoflead。ItwasthedaybeforethemorningonwhichthedocketwouldreachthecaseofOrtiz，andthedistrictattorneywaspreparinghimselffortrial。
"Notmuchneedofhavinginhigh-pricedexpertstoprovethecoin\'squeer，isthere，Kil？"smiledLittlefield，ashethumpedthedollardownuponthetable，whereitfellwithnomoreringthanwouldhavecomefromalumpofputty。
"IguesstheGreaser\'sasgoodasbehindthebars，"
saidthedeputy，easinguphisholsters。"You\'vegothimdead。Ifithadbeenjustonetime，theseMexicanscan\'ttellgoodmoneyfrombad；butthislittleyallerrascalbelongstoagangofcounterfeiters，Iknow。ThisisthefirsttimeI\'vebeenabletocatchhimdoingthetrick。
He\'sgotagirldownthereinthemMexicanjacalsontheriverbank。IseenheronedaywhenIwaswatchinghim。She\'sasprettyasaredheiferinaflowerbed。"
Littlefieldshovedthecounterfeitdollarintohispocket，andslippedhismemorandaofthecaseintoanenvelope。
Justthenabright，winsomeface，asfrankandjollyasaboy\'s，appearedinthedoorway，andinwalkedNancyDerwent。
"Oh，Bob，didn\'tcourtadjournattwelveto-dayuntilto-morrow？"sheaskedofLittlefield。
"Itdid，"saidthedistrictattorney，"andI\'mverygladofit。I\'vegotalotofrulingstolookup，and——"
"Now，that\'sjustlikeyou。Iwonderyouandfatherdon\'tturntolawbooksorrulingsorsomething!I
wantyoutotakemeoutplover-shootingthisafternoon。
LongPrairieisjustalivewiththem。Don\'tsayno，please!Iwanttotrymynewtwelve-borehammerless。
I\'vesenttotheliverystabletoengageFlyandBessforthebuckboard；theystandfiresonicely。Iwassureyouwouldgo。"
Theyweretobemarriedinthefall。Theglamourwasatitsheight。Theploverswontheday——or，rather，theafternoon——overthecalf-boundauthorities。Littlefieldbegantoputhispapersaway。
Therewasaknockatthedoor。Kilpatrickansweredit。Abeautiful，dark-eyedgirlwithaskintingedwiththefaintestlemoncolourwalkedintotheroom。Ablackshawlwasthrownoverherheadandwoundoncearoundherneck。
ShebegantotalkinSpanish，avoluble，mournfulstreamofmelancholymusic。Littlefielddidnotunder-
standSpanish。Thedeputydid，andhetranslatedhertalkbyportions，atintervalsholdinguphishandtochecktheflowofherwords。
"Shecametoseeyou，Mr。Littlefield。Hername\'sJoyaTrevi馻s。Shewantstoseeyouabout——well，she\'smixedupwiththatRafaelOrtiz。She\'shis——she\'shisgirl。Shesayshe\'sinnocent。Shesaysshemadethemoneyandgothimtopassit。Don\'tyoubelieveher，Mr。Little-field。That\'sthewaywiththeseMexi-
cangirls；they\'lllie，steal，orkillforafellowwhentheygetstuckonhim。Nevertrustawomanthat\'sinlove!"
"Mr。Kilpatrick!"
NancyDerwent\'sindignantexclamationcausedthedeputytoflounderforamomentinattemptingtoexplainthathehadmisquotedhisownsentiments，andthenheeventonwiththetranslation:
"Shesaysshe\'swillingtotakehisplaceinthejailifyou\'lllethimout。Shesaysshewasdownsickwiththefever，andthedoctorsaidshe\'ddieifshedidn\'thavemedicine。That\'swhyhepassedtheleaddollaronthedrugstore。Shesaysitsavedherlife。ThisRafal。
seemstobeherhoney，allright；there\'salotofstuffinhertalkaboutloveandsuchthingsthatyoudon\'twanttohear。"
Itwasanoldstorytothedistrictattorney。
"Tellher，"saidhe，"thatIcandonothing。Thecasecomesupinthemorning，andhewillhavetomakehisfightbeforethecourt。"
NancyDerwentwasnotsohardened。Shewaslook-
ingwithsympatheticinterestatJoyaTrevi馻sandatLittlefieldalternately。Thedeputyrepeatedthedis-
trictattorney\'swordstothegirl。Shespokeasentenceortwoinalowvoice，pulledhershawlcloselyaboutherface，andlefttheroom。
"Whatdidshesaythen？"askedthedistrictattorney。
"Nothingspecial，"saidthedeputy。"Shesaid:\'Ifthelifeoftheone\'——let\'sseehowitwent——\'Silavidadeellaaquientuamas——ifthelifeofthegirlyouloveiseverindanger，rememberRafaelOrtiz。\'"
Kilpatrickstrolledoutthroughthecorridorinthedirectionofthemarshal\'soffice。
"Can\'tyoudoanythingforthem，Bob？"askedNancy。
"It\'ssuchalittlething——justonecounterfeitdollar——
toruinthehappinessoftwolives!Shewasindangerofdeath，andhedidittosaveher。Doesn\'tthelawknowthefeelingofpity？"
"Ithasn\'taplaceinjurisprudence，Nan，"saidLittle-
field，"especiallyinrethedistrictattorney\'sduty。I\'llpromiseyouthattheprosecutionwillnotbevindictive；
butthemanisasgoodasconvictedwhenthecaseiscalled。
WitnesseswillsweartohispassingthebaddollarwhichIhaveinmypocketatthismomentas\'ExhibitA。\'TherearenoMexicansonthejury，anditwillvoteMr。Greaserguiltywithoutleavingthebox。"
Theplover-shootingwasfinethatafternoon，andintheexcitementofthesportthecaseofRafaelandthegriefofJoyaTrevi馻swasforgotten。Thedistrictattor-
neyandNancyDerwentdroveoutfromthetownthreemilesalongasmooth，grassyroad，andthenstruckacrossarollingprairietowardaheavylineoftimberonPiedraCreek。BeyondthiscreeklayLongPrairie，thefavouritehauntoftheplover。Astheywerenearingthecreektheyheardthegallopingofahorsetotheirright，andsawamanwithblackhairandaswarthyfaceridingtowardthewoodsatatangent，asifhehadcomeupbehindthem。
"I\'veseenthatfellowsomewhere，"saidLittlefield，whohadamemoryforfaces，"butIcan\'texactlyplacehim。
Someranchman，Isuppose，takingashortcuthome。"
TheyspentanhouronLongPrairie，shootingfromthebuckboard。NancyDerwent，anactive，outdoorWesterngirl，waspleasedwithhertwelve-bore。Shehadbaggedwithintwobraceofhercompanion\'sscore。
Theystartedhomewardatagentletrot。WhenwithinahundredyardsofPiedraCreekamanrodeoutofthetimberdirectlytowardthem。
"Itlookslikethemanwesawcomingover，"remarkedMissDerwent。
Asthedistancebetweenthemlessened，thedistrictattorneysuddenlypulleduphisteamsharply，withhiseyesfixedupontheadvancinghorseman。Thatindivid-
ualhaddrawnaWinchesterfromitsscabbardonhissaddleandthrownitoverhisarm。
"NowIknowyou，MexicoSam!"mutteredLittlefieldtohimself。"Itwasyouwhoshookyourrattlesinthatgentleepistle。"
MexicoSamdidnotleavethingslongindoubt。Hehadaniceeyeinallmattersrelatingtofirearms，sowhenhewaswithingoodriflerange，butoutsideofdangerfromNo。8shot，hethrewuphisWinchesterandopenedfireupontheoccupantsofthebuckboard。
Thefirstshotcrackedthebackoftheseatwithinthetwo-inchspacebetweentheshouldersofLittlefieldandMissDerwent。ThenextwentthroughthedashboardandLittlefield\'strouserleg。
ThedistrictattorneyhustledNancyoutofthebuck-
boardtotheground。Shewasalittlepale，butaskednoquestions。Shehadthefrontierinstinctthatacceptsconditionsinanemergencywithoutsuperfluousargument。
Theykepttheirgunsinhand，andLittlefieldhastilygatheredsomehandfulsofcartridgesfromthepasteboardboxontheseatandcrowdedthemintohispockets"Keepbehindthehorses，Nan，"hecommanded。
"ThatfellowisaruffianIsenttoprisononce。He\'stryingtogeteven。Heknowsourshotwon\'thurthimatthatdistance。"
"Allright，Bob，"saidNancysteadily。"I\'mnotafraid。Butyoucomeclose，too。Whoa，Bess；standstill，now!"
ShestrokedBess\'smane。Littlefieldstoodwithhisgunready，prayingthatthedesperadowouldcomewithinrange。
ButMexicoSamwasplayinghisvendettaalongsafelines。Hewasabirdofdifferentfeatherfromtheplover。
Hisaccurateeyedrewanimaginarylineofcircumferencearoundtheareaofdangerfrombird-shot，anduponthislinelierode。Hishorsewheeledtotheright，andashisvictimsroundedtothesafesideoftheirequinebreast-
workhesentaballthroughthedistrictattorney\'shat。
Oncehemiscalculatedinmakingad閠our，andover-
steppedMsmargin。Littlefield\'sgunflashed，andMexicoSamduckedhisheadtotheharmlesspatteroftheshot。Afewofthemstunghishorse，whichprancedpromptlybacktothesafetyline。
Thedesperadofiredagain。AlittlecrycamefromNancyDerwent。Littlefieldwhirled，withblazingeyes，andsawthebloodtricklingdownhercheek。
"I\'mnothurt，Bob——onlyasplinterstruckme。I
thinkhehitoneofthewheel-spokes。"
"Lord!"groanedLittlefield。"IfIonlyhadachargeofbuckshot!"
Theruffiangothishorsestill，andtookcarefulaim。
Flygaveasnortandfellintheharness，struckintheneck。Bess，nowdisabusedoftheideathatploverwerebeingfiredat，brokehertracesandgallopedwildlyaway——MexicanSamsentaballneatlythroughthefulnessofNancyDerwent\'sshootingjacket。
"Liedown——liedown!"snappedLittlefield。"closetothehorse——flatontheground——so。"Healmostthrewheruponthegrassagainstthebackoftherecum-
bentFly。Oddlyenough，atthatmomentthewordsoftheMexicangirlreturnedtohismind:
"Ifthelifeofthegirlyouloveiseverindanger，remem-
berRafaelOrtiz。"
Littlefieldutteredanexclamation。
"Openfireonhim，Nan，acrossthehorse\'sback。
Fireasfastasyoucan!Youcan\'thurthim，butkeephimdodgingshotforoneminutewhileItrytoworkalittlescheme。"
NancygaveaquickglanceatLittlefield，andsawhimtakeouthispocket-knifeandopenit。Thensheturnedherfacetoobeyorders，keepinguparapidfireattheenemy。
MexicoSamwaitedpatientlyuntilthisinnocuousfusilladeceased。Hehadplentyoftime，andhedidnotcaretoriskthechanceofabird-shotinhiseyewhencouldbeavoidedbyalittlecaution。HepulledhisheavyStetsonlowdownoverhisfaceuntiltheshotsceased。
Thenhedrewalittlenearer，andfiredwithcarefulaimatwhathecouldseeofhisvictimsabovethefallenhorse。
Neitherofthemmoved。Heurgedhishorseafewstepsnearer。Hesawthedistrictattorneyrisetoonekneeanddeliberatelylevelhisshotgun。Hepulledhishatdownandawaitedtheharmlessrattleofthetinypellets。
Theshotgunblazedwithaheavyreport。MexicoSamsighed，turnedlimpallover，andslowlyfellfromhishorse——adeadrattlesnake。
Atteno\'clockthenextmorningcourtopened，andthecaseoftheUnitedStatesversusRafaelOrtizwascalled。
Thedistrictattorney，withhisarminasling，roseandaddressedthecourt。
"Mayitpleaseyourhonour，"hesaid，"Idesiretoenteranollepros。inthiscase。Eventhoughthedefend-
antshouldbeguilty，thereisnotsufficientevidenceinthehandsofthegovernmenttosecureaconviction。Thepieceofcounterfeitcoinupontheidentityofwhichthecasewasbuiltisnotnowavailableasevidence。Iask，therefore，thatthecasebestrickenoff。"
AtthenoonrecessKilpatrickstrolledintothedistrictattorney\'soffice。
"I\'vejustbeendowntotakeasquintatoldMexicoSam，"saidthedeputy。"They\'vegothimlaidout。
OldMexicowasatoughoutfit，Ireckon。Theboyswaswonderin\'downtherewhatyoushothimwith。Somesaiditmusthavebeennails。Ineverseeaguncarryanythingtomakeholeslikehehad。"
"Ishothim，"saidthedistrictattorney，"withExhibitAofyourcounterfeitingcase。Luckythingforme——
andsomebodyelse——thatitwasasbadmoneyasitwas!
Itslicedupintoslugsverynicely。Say，Kil，can\'tyougodowntothejacalsandfindwherethatMexicangirllives？MissDerwentwantstoknow。"
ANEWSPAPERSTORY
AT8A。M。itlayonGiuseppi\'snews-stand，stilldampfromthepresses。Giuseppi，withthecunningofhisilk，philanderedontheoppositecomer，leavinghispatronstohelpthemselves，nodoubtonatheoryrelatedtothehypothesisofthewatchedpot。
Thisparticularnewspaperwas，accordingtoitscustomanddesign，aneducator，aguide，amonitor，achampionandahouseholdcounsellorandvademecum。
Fromitsmanyexcellenciesmightbeselectedthreeeditorials。Onewasinsimpleandchastebutilluminat-
inglanguagedirectedtoparentsandteachers，depreca-
tingcorporalpunishmentforchildren。
Anotherwasanaccusiveandsignificantwarningaddressedtoanotoriouslabourleaderwhowasonthepointofinstigatinghisclientstoatroublesomestrike。
Thethirdwasaneloquentdemandthatthepoliceforcebesustainedandaidedineverythingthattendedtoincreaseitsefficiencyaspublicguardiansandservants。
Besidesthesemoreimportantchidingsandrequisitionsuponthestoreofgoodcitizenshipwasawiseprescriptionorformofprocedurelaidoutbytheeditoroftheheart-
to-heartcolumninthespecificcaseofayoungmanwhohadcomplainedoftheobduracyofhisladylove，teachinghimhowhemightwinher。
Again，therewas，onthebeautypage，acompleteanswertoayoungladyinquirerwhodesiredadmonitiontowardthesecuringofbrighteyes，rosycheeksandabeautifulcountenance。
Oneotheritemrequiringspecialcognizancewasabrief"personal，"runningthus:
DEARJACK:——Forgiveme。Youwereright。MeetmecomerMadisonand-that8。30thismorning。Weleaveatnoon。
PENITENT。
At8o\'clockayoungmanwithahaggardlookandthefeverishgleamofunrestinhiseyedroppedapennyandpickedupthetoppaperashepassedGiuseppi\'sstand。
Asleeplessnighthadlefthimalateriser。Therewasanofficetobereachedbynine，andashaveandahastycupofcoffeetobecrowdedintotheinterval。
Hevisitedhisbarbershopandthenhurriedonhisway。Hepocketedhispaper，meditatingabelatedperusalofitattheluncheonhour。Atthenextcorneritfellfromhispocket，carryingwithithispairofnewgloves。Threeblockshewalked，missedtheglovesandturnedbackfuming。
Justonthehalf-hourhereachedthecornerwherelaytheglovesandthepaper。Buthestrangelyignoredthatwhichhehadcometoseek。Hewasholdingtwolittlehandsastightlyaseverhecouldandlookingintotwopenitentbrowneyes，whilejoyriotedinhisheart。
"DearJack，"shesaid，"Iknewyouwouldbehereontime。"
"Iwonderwhatshemeansbythat，"hewassayingtohimself；"butit\'sallright，it\'sallright。"
Abigwindpuffedoutofthewest，pickedupthepaperfromthesidewalk，openeditoutandsentitflyingandwhirlingdownasidestreet。Upthatstreetwasdrivingaskittishbaytoaspider-wheelbuggy，theyoungmanwhohadwrittentotheheart-to-hearteditorforarecipethathemightwinherforwhomhesighed。
Thewind，withaprankishflurry，flappedtheflyingnewspaperagainstthefaceoftheskittishbay。Therewasalengthenedstreakofbaymingledwiththeredofrunninggearthatstretcheditselfoutforfourblocks。
Thenawater-hydrantplayeditspartinthecosmogony，thebuggybecamematchwoodasforeordained，andthedriverrestedveryquietlywherehehadbeenflungontheasphaltinfrontofacertainbrownstonemansion。
Theycameoutandhadhiminsideverypromptly。Andtherewasonewhomadeherselfapillowforhishead，andcaredfornocuriouseyes，bendingoverandsaying，"Oh，itwasyou；itwasyouallthetime，Bobby!Couldn\'tyouseeit？Andifyoudie，why，somustI，and——"
Butinallthiswindwemusthurrytokeepintouchwithourpaper。
PolicemanO\'Brinearresteditasacharacterdangeroustotraffic。Straighteningitsdishevelledleaveswithhisbig，slowfingers，hestoodafewfeetfromthefamilyentranceoftheShandonBellsCaf？Oneheadlinehespelledoutponderously:"ThePaperstotheFrontinaMovetoHelpthePolice。"
But，whisht!ThevoiceofDanny，theheadbartender，throughthecrackofthedoor:"Here\'sanipforye，Mike，ouldman。"
Behindthewidespread，amicablecolumnsofthepressPolicemanO\'Brinereceivesswiftlyhisnipoftherealstuff。Hemovesaway，stalwart，refreshed，fortified，tohisduties。Mightnottheeditormanviewwithpridetheearly，thespiritual，theliteralfruitthathadblessedhislabours。
PolicemanO\'Brinefoldedthepaperandpokeditplayfullyunderthearmofasmallboythatwaspassing。
ThatboywasnamedJohnny，andhetookthepaperhomewithhim。HissisterwasnamedGladys，andshehadwrittentothebeautyeditorofthepaperaskingforthepracticabletouchstoneofbeauty。Thatwasweeksago，andshehadceasedtolookforananswer。
Gladyswasapalegirl，withdulleyesandadiscontentedexpression。Shewasdressingtogouptotheavenuetogetsomebraid。BeneathherskirtshepinnedtwoleavesofthepaperJohnnyhadbrought。Whenshewalkedtherustlingsoundwasanexactimitationoftherealthing。
OnthestreetshemettheBrowngirlfromtheflatbelowandstoppedtotalk。TheBrowngirlturnedgreen。
Onlysilkat$5ayardcouldmakethesoundthatsheheardwhenGladysmoved。TheBrowngirl，consumedbyjealousy，saidsomethingspitefulandwentherway，withpinchedlips。
Gladysproceededtowardtheavenue。Hereyesnowsparkledlikejagerfonteins。Arosybloomvisitedhercheeks；atriumphant，subtle，vivifying，smiletransfiguredherface。Shewasbeautiful。Couldthebeautyeditorhaveseenherthen!Therewassomethinginheranswerinthepaper，Ibelieve，aboutcultivatingkindfeelingstowardothersinordertomakeplainfeaturesattractive。
Thelabourleaderagainstwhomthepaper\'ssolemnandweightyeditorialinjunctionwaslaidwasthefatherofGladysandJohnny。HepickeduptheremainsofthejournalfromwhichGladyshadravishedacosmeticofsilkensounds。Theeditorialdidnotcomeunderhiseye，butinsteaditwasgreetedbyoneofthoseingeniousandspeciouspuzzleproblemsthatenthrallalikethesimpletonandthesage。
Thelabourleadertoreoffhalfofthepage，providedhimselfwithtable，pencilandpaperandgluedhimselftohispuzzle。
Threehourslater，afterwaitingvainlyforhimattheappointedplace，othermoreconservativeleadersdeclaredandruledinfavourofarbitration，andthestrikewithitsattendantdangerswasaverted。Subsequenteditionsofthepaperreferred，incolouredinks，totheclariontoneofitssuccessfuldenunciationofthelabourleader\'sintendeddesigns。
Theremainingleavesoftheactivejournalalsowentloyallytotheprovingofitspotency。
WhenJohnnyreturnedfromschoolhesoughtasecludedspotandremovedthemissingcolumnsfromtheinsideofhisclothing，wheretheyhadbeenartfullydistributedsoastosuccessfullydefendsuchareasasaregenerallyattackedduringscholasticcastigations。Johnnyattendedaprivateschoolandhadhadtroublewithhisteacher。Ashasbeensaid，therewasanexcellenteditorialagainstcorporalpunishmentinthatmorning\'sissue，andnodoubtithaditseffect。
Afterthiscananyonedoubtthepowerofthepress？
TOMMY\'SBURGLAR
ATTENo\'clockP。M。Felicia，themaid，leftbythebasementdoorwiththepolicemantogetaraspberryphosphatearoundthecorner。Shedetestedthepolice-
manandobjectedearnestlytothearrangement。Shepointedout，notunreasonably，thatshemighthavebeenallowedtofallasleepoveroneofSt。GeorgeRathbone\'snovelsonthethirdfloor，butshewasoverruled。Rasp-
berriesandcopswerenotcreatedfornothing。
Theburglargotintothehousewithoutmuchdifficulty；
becausewemusthaveactionandnottoomuchdescrip-
tionina2，000-wordstory。
Inthediningroomheopenedtheslideofhisdarklantern。Withabraceandcentrebithebegantoboreintothelockofthesilver-closet。
Suddenlyaclickwasheard。Theroomwasfloodedwithelectriclight。Thedarkvelvetporti鑢espartedtoadmitafair-hairedboyofeightinpinkpajamas，bearingabottleofoliveoilinhishand。
"Areyouaburglar？"heasked，inasweet，childishvoice。
"Listentothat，"exclaimedtheman，inahoarsevoice。
"AmIaburglar？WotdoyousupposeIhaveathree-
days\'growthofbristlybreadonmyfacefor，andacapwithflaps？Givemetheoil，quick，andletmegreasethebit，soIwon\'twakeupyourmamma，whoislyingdownwithaheadache，andleftyouinchargeofFelicia。
whohasbeenfaithlesstohertrust。"
"Oh，dear，"saidTommy，withasigh。"Ithoughtyouwouldbemoreup-to-date。ThisoilisforthesaladwhenIbringlunchfromthepantryforyou。AndmammaandpapahavegonetotheMetropolitantohearDeReszke。Butthatisn\'tmyfault。Itonlyshowshowlongthestoryhasbeenknockingaroundamongtheeditors。Iftheauthorhadbeenwisehe\'dhavechangedittoCarusointheproofs。"
"Bequiet，"hissedtheburglar，underhisbreath。"IfyouraiseanalarmI\'llwringyournecklikearabbit\'s。"
"Likeachicken\'s，"correctedTommy。"Youhadthatwrong。Youdon\'twringrabbits\'necks。"
"Aren\'tyouafraidofme？"askedtheburglar。
"YouknowI\'mnot，"answeredTommy。"Don\'tyousupposeIknowfactfromfiction。Ifthiswasn\'tastoryI\'dyelllikeanIndianwhenIsawyou；andyou\'dprobablytumbledownstairsandgetpinchedonthesidewalk。"
"Isee，"saidtheburglar，"thatyou\'reontoyourjob。Goonwiththeperformance。"
Tommyseatedhimselfinanarmchairanddrewhistoesupunderhim。
"Whydoyougoaroundrobbingstrangers，Mr。Burg-
lar？Haveyounofriends？"
"Iseewhatyou\'redrivingat，"saidtheburglar，withadarkfrown。"It\'sthesameoldstory。Yourinnocenceandchildishinsoucianceisgoingtoleadmebackintoanhonestlife。EverytimeIcrackacribwherethere\'sakidaround，ithappens。"
"Wouldyoumindgazingwithwolfisheyesattheplateofcoldbeefthatthebutlerhasleftonthediningtable？"
saidTommy。"I\'mafraidit\'sgrowinglate。"
Theburglaraccommodated。
"Poorman，"saidTommy。"Youmustbehungry。
IfyouwillpleasestandinalistlessattitudeIwillgetyousomethingtoeat。"
Theboybroughtaroastchicken，ajarofmarmaladeandabottleofwinefromthepantry。Theburglarseizedaknifeandforksullenly。
"It\'sonlybeenanhour，"hegrumbled，"sinceIhadalobsterandapintofmustyaleuponBroadway。Iwishthesestorywriterswouldletafellowhaveapepsintablet，anyhow，betweenfeeds。"
"Mypapawritesbooks，"remarkedTommy。
Theburglarjumpedtohisfeetquickly。
"Yousaidhehadgonetotheopera，"hehissed，hoarselyandwithimmediatesuspicion。
"Ioughttohaveexplained，"saidTommy。"Hedidn\'tbuythetickets。"Theburglarsatagainandtoyedwiththewishbone。
"Whydoyouburglehouses？"askedtheboy，wonderingly。
"Because，"repliedtheburglar，withasuddenflowoftears。"Godblessmylittlebrown-bairedboyBessieathome。"
"Ah，"saidTommy，wrinklinghisnose，"yougotthatanswerinthewrongplace。Youwanttotellyourhard-
luckstorybeforeyoupulloutthechildstop。"
"Oh，yes，"saidtheburglar，"Iforgot。Well，onceIlivedinMilwaukee，and——"
"Takethesilver，"saidTommy，risingfromhischair。
"Holdon，"saidtheburglar。"ButImovedaway。"
Icouldfindnootheremployment。ForawhileIman-
agedtosupportmywifeandchildbypassingconfederatemoney；but，alas!Iwasforcedtogivethatupbecauseitdidnotbelongtotheunion。Ibecamedesperateandaburglar。"
"Haveyoueverfallenintothehandsofthepolice？"
askedTommy。
"Isaid\'burglar，\'not\'beggar，\'"answeredthecracksman。
"Afteryoufinishyourlunch，"saidTommy，"andexperiencetheusualchangeOfheart，howshallwewindupthestory？"
"Suppose，"saidtheburglar，thoughtfully，"thatTonyPastorturnsoutearlierthanusualto-night，andyourfathergetsinfrom\'Parsifal\'at10。30。IamthoroughlyrepentantbecauseyouhavemademethinkofmyownlittleboyBessie，and——"
"Say，"saidTommy，"haven\'tyougotthatwrong？"
"NotonyourcolouredcrayondrawingsbyB。CoryKilvert，"saidtheburglar。"It\'salwaysaBessiethatIhaveathome，artlesslyprattlingtothepale-checkedburglar\'sbride。AsIwassaying，yourfatheropensthefrontdoorjustasIamdepartingwithadmonitionsandsandwichesthatyouhavewrappedupforme。UponrecognizingmeasanoldHarvardclassmatehestartsbackin——"
"Notinsurprise？"interruptedTommy，withwide，openeyes。
"Hestartsbackinthedoorway，"continuedtheburglar。
Andthenherosetohisfeetandbegantoshout"Rah，rah，rah!rah，rah，rah!rah，rah，rah!"
"Well，"saidTommy，wonderingly，"that\'s，thefirsttimeIeverknewaburglartogiveacollegeyellwhenhewasburglarizingahouse，eveninastory。"
"That\'soneonyou，"saidtheburglar，withalaugh。
"Iwaspractisingthedramatization。Ifthisisputonthestagethatcollegetouchisabouttheonlythingthatwillmakeitgo。"
Tommylookedhisadmiration。
"You\'reon，allright，"hesaid。
"Andthere\'sanothermistalzeyou\'vemade，"saidtheburglar。"Youshouldhavegonesometimeagoandbroughtmethe$9goldpieceyourmothergaveyouonyourbirthdaytotaketoBessie。"
"Butshedidn\'tgiveittometotaketoBessie，"saidTommy，pouting。
"Come，come!"saidtheburglar，sternly。"It\'snotniceofyoutotakeadvantagebecausethestorycontainsanambiguoussentence。YouknowwhatImean。It\'smightylittleIgetoutofthesefictionaljobs，anyhow。I
losealltheloot，andIhavetoreformeverytime；andalltheswagI\'mallowedistheblamedlittlefol-de-rolsandluck-piecesthatyoukidshandover。Why，inonestory，allIgotwasakissfromalittlegirlwhocameinonmewhenIwasopeningasafe。Andittastedofmolassescandy，too。I\'veagoodnotiontotiethistablecoveroveryourheadandkeeponintothesilver-closet。"
