第1章

Afavouritedodgetogetyourstoryreadbythepublicistoassertthatitistrue，andthenaddthatTruthisstrangerthanFiction。IdonotknowiftheyarnI

amanxiousforyoutoreadistrue；buttheSpanishpurserofthefruitsteamerElCarrerosworetomebytheshrineofSantaGuadalupethathehadthefactsfromtheU。S。

vice-consulatLaPaz-apersonwhocouldnotpossiblyhavebeencognizantofhalfofthem。

Asfortheadagequotedabove，Itakepleasureinpunc-

turingitbyaffirmingthatIreadinapurelyfictionalstorytheotherdaytheline:""Beitso，"saidthepolice-

man。"NothingsostrangehasyetcroppedoutinTruth。

WhenH。FergusonHedges，millionairepromoter，investorandman-about-New-York，turnedhisthoughtsuponmattersconvivial，andwordofitwent"downtheline，"bouncerstookaprecautionaryturnattheIndianclubs，waitersputironstonechinaonhisfavouritetables，cabdriverscrowdedclosetothecurbstoneinfrontofall-nightcaf閟，andcarefulcashiersinhisregularhauntschargedupafewbottlestohisaccountbywayofprefaceandintroduction。

Asamoneypoweraone-millionaireisofsmallaccountinacitywherethemanwhocutsyoursliceofbeefbehindthefree-lunchcounterridestoworkinhisownautomobile。

ButHedgesspenthismoneyaslavishly，loudlyandshowilyasthoughhewereonlyaclerksquanderingaweek"swages。And，afterall，thebartendertakesnointerestinyourreservefund。HewouldratherlookyouuponhiscashregisterthaninBradstreet。

Ontheeveningthatthematerialallegationoffactsbegins，Hedgeswasbiddingdullcarebegoneinthecom-

panyoffiveorsixgoodfellows——acquaintancesandfriendswhohadgatheredinhiswake。

Amongthemweretwoyoungermen——RalphMerriam，abroker，andWade，hisfriend。

Twodeep-seacabmenwerechartered。AtColumbusCircletheyhovetolongenoughtorevilethestatueofthegreatnavigator，unpatrioticallyrebukinghimforhavingvoyagedinsearchoflandinsteadofliquids。Midnightovertookthepartymaroonedintherearofacheapcaf？faruptown。

Hedgeswasarrogant，overridingandquarrelsome。

Hewasburlyandtough，iron-graybutvigorous，"good"

fortherestofthenight。Therewasadispute——aboutnothingthatmatters——andthefive-fingeredwordswerepassed——thewordsthatrepresenttheglovecastintothelists。Merriamplayedther鬺eoftheverbalHotspur。

Hedgesrosequickly，seizedhischair，swungitonceandsmashedwildlydowpatMerriam"shead。Merriamdodged，drewasmallrevolverandshotHedgesinthechest。Theleadingroystererstumbled，fellinawryheap，andlaystill。

Wade，acommuter，hadformedthathabitofprompt-

ness。HejuggledMerriamoutasidedoor，walkedhimtothecorner，ranhimablockandcaughtahansom。Theyrodefiveminutesandthengotoutonadarkcorneranddismissedthecab。Acrossthestreetthelightsofasmallsaloonbetrayeditshectichospitality。

"Gointhebackroomofthatsaloon，"saidWade，"andwait。I"llgofindoutwhat"sdoingandletyouknow。

YoumaytaketwodrinkswhileIamgone-nomore。"

Attenminutestooneo"clockWadereturned。

"Braceup，oldchap，"hesaid。"TheambulancegottherejustasIdid。Thedoctorsayshe"sdead。Youmayhaveonemoredrink。Youletmerunthisthingforyou。You"vegottoskip。Idon"tbelieveachairislegallyadeadlyweapon。You"vegottomaketracks，that"sallthereistoit。"

Merriamcomplainedofthecoldquerulously，andaskedforanotherdrink。"Didyounoticewhatbigveinshehadonthebackofhishands？"hesaid。"I

nevercouldstand——Inevercould——"

"Takeonemore，"saidWade，"andthencomeon。

I"llseeyouthrough。"

Wadekepthispromisesowellthatateleveno"clockthenextmorningMerriam，withanewsuitcasefullofnewclothesandhair-brushes，steppedquietlyonboardalittle500-tonfruitsteameratanEastRiverpier。Thevesselhadbroughttheseason"sfirstcargooflimesfromPortLimon，andwashomewardbound。Merriamhadhisbankbalanceof$2，800inhispocketinlargebills，andbriefinstructionstopileupasmuchwaterashecouldbetweenhimselfandNewYork。Therewasnotimeforanythingmore。

FromPortLimonMerriamworkeddownthecoastbyschoonerandslooptoColon，thenceacrosstheisthmustoPanama，wherehecaughtatrampboundforCallaoandsuchintermediateportsasmighttemptthediscursiveskipperfromhiscourse。

ItwasatLaPazthatMerriamdecidedtoland——LaPaztheBeautiful，alittleharbourlesstownsmotheredinalivinggreenribbonthatbandedthefootofacloud-

piercingmountain。Herethelittlesteamerstoppedtotreadwaterwhilethecaptain"sdorytookhimashorethathemightfeelthepulseofthecocoanutmarket。Merriamwenttoo，withhissuitcase，andremained。

Kalb，thevice-consul，aGr鎐o-ArmeniancitizenoftheUnitedStates，borninHessen-Darmstadt，andedu-

catedinCincinnatiwardprimaries，consideredallAmeri-

canshisbrothersandbankers。HeattachedhimselftoMerriam"selbow，introducedhimtoeveryoneinLaPazwhoworeshoes，borrowedtendollarsandwentbacktohishammock。

Therewasalittlewoodenhotelintheedgeofabananagrove，facingthesea，thatcateredtothetastesofthefewforeignersthathaddroppedoutoftheworldintothet，ri，qtePeruviantown。AtKalb"sintroductory:"Shakehandswith——，"hehadobedientlyexchangedmanualsalutationswithaGermandoctor，oneFrenchandtwoItalianmerchants，andthreeorfourAmericanswhowerespokenofasgoldmen，rubbermen，mahoganymen——anythingbutmenoflivingtissue。

AfterdinnerMerriamsatinacornerofthebroadfrontgaleriawithBibb，aVermonterinterestedinhydraulicmining，andsmokedanddrankScotch"smoke。"Themoonlitsea，spreadinginfinitelybeforehim，seemedtoseparatehimbeyondallapprehensionfromhisoldlife。

Thehorridtragedyinwhichhehadplayedsuchadisas-

trouspartnowbegan，forthefirsttimesincehestoleonboardthefruiter，awretchedfugitive，toloseitssharperoutlines。Distancelentassuagementtohisview。Bibbhadopenedtheflood-gatesofastreamoflong-dammeddiscourse，overjoyedtohavecapturedanaudiencethathadnotsufferedunderahundredrepetitionsofhisviewsandtheories。

"Oneyearmore，"saidBibb，"andI"llgobacktoGod"scountry。Oh，Iknowit"sprettyhere，andyougetdolcefarnientebandedtoyouinchunks，butthiscountrywasn"tmadeforawhitemantolivein。You"vegottohavetoplugthroughsnownowandthen，andseeagameofbaseballandwearastiffcollarandhaveapolicemancussyou。Still，LaPazisagoodsortofapipe-dreamyoldhole。AndMrs。Conantishere。Whenanyofusfeelsparticularlylikejumpingintotheseawerusharoundtoherhouseandpropose。It"snicertoberejectedbyMrs。Conantthanitistobedrowned。Andtheysaydrowningisadelightfulsensation。"

"Manylikeherhere？"askedMerriam。

"Notanywhere，"saidBibb，withacomfortablesigh。

She"stheonlywhitewomaninLaPaz。Therestrangefromadappledduntothecolourofab-flatpianokey。She"sbeenhereayear。Comesfrom——well，youknowhowawomancantalk——ask"emtosay"string"

andthey"llsay"crow"sfoot"or"cat"scradle。"Some-

timesyou"dthinkshewasfromOshkosh，andagainfromJacksonville，Florida，andthenextdayfromCapeCod。"

"Mystery？"venturedMerriam。

"M——well，shelooksit；buthertalk"stranslucentenough。Butthat"sawoman。IsupposeiftheSphinxweretobegintalkingshe"dmerelysay:"Goodnessme!

morevisitorscomingfordinner，andnothingtoeatbutthesandwhichishere。"Butyouwon"tthinkaboutthatwhenyoumeether，Merriam。You"llproposetohertoo。"

Tomakeahardstorysoft，Merriamdidmeetherandproposetoher。Hefoundhertobeawomaninblackwithhairthecolourofabronzeturkey"swings，andmysterious，rememberingeyesthat-well，thatlookedasifshemighthavebeenatrainednurselookingonwhenEvewascreated。Herwordsandmanner，though，weretranslucent，asBibbhadsaid。Shespoke，vaguely，offriendsinCaliforniaandsomeofthelowerparishesinLouisiana。Thetropicalclimateandindolentlifesuitedher；shehadthoughtofbuyinganorangegrovelateron；

LaPaz。allinall，charmedher。

Merriam"scourtshipoftheSphinxlastedthreemonths，althoughbedidnotknowthathewascourtingher。Hewasusingherasanantidoteforremorse，untilhefound，toolate，thathehadacquiredthehabit。Duringthattimehehadreceivednonewsfromhome。Wadedidnotknowwherehewas；andhewasnotsureofWade"sexactaddress，andwasafraidtowrite。Hethoughthehadbetterletmattersrestastheywereforawhile。

OneafternoonheandMrs。Conanthiredtwoponiesandrodeoutalongthemountaintrailasfarasthelittlecoldriverthatcametumblingdownthefoothills。Theretheystoppedforadrink，andMerriamspokehispiece——

heproposed，asBibbhadprophesied。

Mrs。Conantgavehimoneglanceofbrillianttenderness，andthenherfacetookonsuchastrange，haggardlookthatMerriamwasshakenoutofhisintoxicationandbacktohissenses。

"Ibegyourpardon，Florence，"hesaid，releasingherhand；"butI"llhavetohedgeonpartofwhatIsaid。I

can"taskyoutomarryme，ofcourse。IkilledamaninNewYork——amanwhowasmyfriend-shothimdown——inquiteacowardlymanner，Iunderstand。Ofcourse，thedrinkingdidn"texcuseit。Well，Icouldn"tresisthavingmysay；andI"llalwaysmeanit。I"mhereasafugitivefromjustice，and——Isupposethatendsouracquaintance。"

Mrs。Conantpluckedlittleleavesassiduouslyfromthelow-hangingbranchofalimetree。

"Isupposeso，"shesaid，inlowandoddlyuneventones；"butthatdependsuponyou。I"llbeashonestasyouwere。Ipoisonedmyhusband。Iamaself-madewidow。Amancannotloveamurderess。SoIsupposethatendsouracquaintance。"

Shelookedupathimslowly。Hisfaceturnedalittlepale，andhestaredatherblankly，likeadeaf-and-dumbmanwhowaswonderingwhatitwasallabout。

Shetookaswiftsteptowardhim，withstiffenedarmsandeyesblazing。

"Don"tlookatmelikethat!"shecried，asthoughshewereinacutepain。"Curseme，orturnyourbackonme，butdon"tlookthatway。AmIawomantobebeaten？IfIcouldshowyou——hereonmyarms，andonmybackarescars——andithasbeenmorethanayear——scarsthathemadeinhisbrutalrages。Aholynunwouldhaverisenandstruckthefienddown。Yes，I

killedhim。ThefoulandhorriblewordsthathehurledatmethatlastdayarerepeatedinmyearseverynightwhenIsleep。Andthencamehisblows，andtheendofmyendurance。Igotthepoisonthatafternoon。Itwashiscustomtodrinkeverynightinthelibrarybeforegoingtobedahotpunchmadeofrumandwine。Onlyfrommyfairhandswouldhereceiveit——becauseheknewthefumesofspiritsalwayssickenedme。ThatnightwhenthemaidbroughtittomeIsentherdownstairsonanerrand。BeforetakinghimhisdrinkIwenttomylittleprivatecabinetandpouredintoitmorethanatea-

spoonfuloftinctureofaconite——enoughtokillthreemen，soIhadlearned。Ihaddrawn$6，000thatIhadinbank，andwiththatandafewthingsinasatchelIleftthehousewithoutanyoneseeingme。AsIpassedthelibraryIheardhimstaggerupandfallheavilyonacouch。ItookanighttrainforNewOrleans，andfromthereIsailedtotheBermudas。IfinallycastanchorinLaPaz。Andnowwhathaveyoutosay？Canyouopenyourmouth？"

Merriamcamebacktolife。

"Florence，"hesaidearnestly，"Iwantyou。Idon"tcarewhatyou"vedone。Iftheworld——"

"Ralph，"sheinterrupted，almostwithascream，"bemyworld!"

Hereyesmelted；sherelaxedmagnificentlvandswayedtowardMerriamsosuddenlythathehadtojumptocatchher。

Dearme!insuchsceneshowthetalkrunsintoartificialprose。Butitcan"tbehelped。It"sthesubconscioussmellofthefootlights"smokethat"sinallofus。Stirthedepthsofyourcook"ssoulsufficientlyandshewilldiscourseinBulwer-Lyttonese。

MerriamandMrs。Conantwereveryhappy。HeannouncedtheirengagementattheHotelOrilladelMar。

EightforeignersandfournativeAstorspoundedhisbackandshoutedinsincerecongratulationsathim。Pedrito，theCastilian-manneredbarkeep，wasgoadedtoextradutyuntilhisagilitywouldhaveturnedaBostoncherry-

phosphateclerkapalelilacwithenvy。

Theywerebothveryhappy。Accordingtothestrangemathematicsofthegodofmutualaffinity，theshadowsthatcloudedtheirpastswhenunitedbecameonlyhalfasdenseinsteadofdarker。Theyshuttheworldoutandboltedthedoors。Eachwastheother"sworld。Mrs。

Conantlivedagain。TherememberinglooklefthereyesMerriamwaswithhereverymomentthatwaspossible。

Onalittleplateauunderagroveofpalmsandcalabashtreestheyweregoingtobuildafairybungalow。Theyweretobemarriedintwomonths。Manyhoursofthedaytheyhadtheirheadstogetheroverthehouseplans。

Theirjointcapitalwouldsetupabusinessinfruitorwoodsthatwouldyieldacomfortablesupport。"Goodnight，myworld，"wouldsayMrs。ConanteveryeveningwhenMerriamleftherforhishotel。Theywereveryhappy。Theirlovehad，circumstantially，thatelementofmelancholyinitthatitseemstorequiretoattainitssupremestelevation。Anditseemedthattheirmutualgreatmisfortuneorsinwasabondthatnothingcouldsever。

Onedayasteamerhoveintheoffing。Bare-leggedandbare-shoulderedLaPazscampereddowntothebeach，forthearrivalofasteamerwastheirloop-the-loop，circus，EmancipationDayandfour-o"clocktea。

Whenthesteamerwasnearenough，wiseonespro-

claimedthatshewasthePajaro，boundup-coastfromCallaotoPanama。

ThePaiaroputonbrakesamileoffshore。Soonaboatcamebobbingshoreward。Merriamstrolleddownonthebeachtolookon。IntheshallowwatertheCaribsailorssprangoutanddraggedtheboatwithamightyrushtothefirmshingle。Outclimbedthepurser，thecaptainandtwopassengers，ploughingtheirwaythroughthedeepsandtowardthehotel。Merriamglancedtowardthemwiththemildinterestduetostrangers。Therewassomethingfamiliartohiminthewalkofoneofthepas-

sengers。Helookedagain，andhisbloodseemedtoturntostrawberryicecreaminhisveins。Burly，arrogant，debonairasever，H。FergusonHedges，themanhehadkilled，wascomingtowardhimtenfeetaway。

WhenHedgessawMerriamhisfaceflushedadarkred。Thenheshoutedinhisold，bluffway:"Hello，Merriam。Gladtoseeyou。Didn"texpecttofindyououthere。Quinby，thisismyoldfriendMerriam，ofNewYork——Merriam，Mr。Quinby。"

MerriamgaveHedgesandthenQuinbyanice-coldhand。

"Br-r-r-r!"saidHedges。"Butyou"vegotafrapp閐

flipper!Man，you"renotwell。You"reasyellowasaChinaman。Malarialhere？Steerustoabarifthereissuchathing，andlet"stakeaprophylactic。"

Merriam，stillhalfcomatose，ledthemtowardtheHotelOrilladelMar。

"QuinbyandI"explainedHedges，puffingthroughtheslipperysand，"arelookingoutalongthecoastforsomeinvestments。We"vejustcomeupfromConcepci髇

andValparaisoandLima。Thecaptainofthissub-

sidizedferryboattoldustherewassomegoodpickingaroundhereinsilvermines。Sowegotoff。Now，whereisthatcaf？Merriam？Oh，inthisportablesodawaterpavilion？"

LeavingQuinbyatthebar，HedgesdrewMerriamside。

"Now，whatdoesthismean？"hesaid，withgruffkindness。"Areyousulkingaboutthatfoolrowwehad？"

"Ithought，"stammeredMerriam——"Iheard——theytoldmeyouwere——thatIhad"

"Well，youdidn"t，andI"mnot，"saidHedges。"ThatfoolyoungambulancesurgeontoldWadeIwasacan-

didateforacoffinjustbecauseI"dgottiredandquitbreathing。Ilaidupinaprivatehospitalforamonth；

buthereIam，kickingashardasever。WadeandI

triedtofindyou，butcouldn"t。Now，Merriam，shakehandsandforgetitall。Iwasasmuchtoblameasyouwere；andtheshotreallydidmegood——Icameoutofthehospitalashealthyandfitasacabhorse。Comeon；

thatdrink"swaiting。"

"Oldman，"saidMerriam，brokenly，"Idon"tknowhowtothankyou——I——well，youknow——"

"Oh，forgetit，"boomedHedges。"Quinby"lldieofthirstifwedon"tjoinhim。"

Bibbwassittingontheshadysideofthegallerywaitingfortheeleven-o"clockbreakfast。PresentlyMerriamcameoutandjoinedhim。Hiseyewasstrangelybright。

"Bibb，myboy，"saidhe，slowlywavinghishand，"doyouseethosemountainsandthatseaandskyandsun-

shine？——they"remine，Bibbsy——allmine。"

"Yougoin，"saidBibb，"andtakeeightgrainsofquinine，rightaway。Itwon"tdointhisclimateforamantogettothinkinghe"sRockefeller，orJamesO"Neilleither。

Inside，thepurserwasuntyingagreatrollofnewspapers，manyofthemweeksold，gatheredinthelowerportsbythePajarotobedistributedatcasualstopping-places。

Thusdothebeneficentvoyagersscatternewsandenter-

tainmentamongtheprisonersofseaandmountains。

TioPancho，thehotelproprietor，sethisgreatsilver-

rimmedaiteojosuponhisnoseanddividedthepapersintoanumberofsmallerrolls。Abarefootedmuchachodashedin，desiringthepostofmessenger。

"Bienvenido，"saidTioPancho。"ThistoSe駉raConant；thattoelDoctorS-S-Schlegel——Dios!whatanametosay!-thattoSe駉rDavis——oneforDonAlberto。ThesetwofortheCasadeHuespedes，Numero6，enlacalledelasBuenasGracias。Andsaytothemall，muchacho，thatthePajarosailsforPanamaatthreethisafternoon。Ifanyhaveletterstosendbythepost，letthemcomequickly，thattheymayfirstpassthroughthecorreo。"

Mrs。Conantreceivedherrollofnewspapersatfouro"clock。Theboywaslateindeliveringthem，becausehehadbeendeflectedfromhisdutybyaniguanathatcrossedhispathandtowhichheimmediatelygavechase。

Butitmadenohardship，forshehadnoletterstosend。

Shewasidlinginahammockinthepatioofthehousethatsheoccupied，halfawake，halfhappilydreamingoftheparadisethatsheandMerriamhadcreatedoutofthewrecksoftheirpasts。Shewascontentnowforthehorizonofthatshimmeringseatobethehorizonofherlife。Theyhadshutouttheworldandclosedthedoor。

Merriamwascomingtoherhouseatseven，afterhisdinneratthehotel。Shewouldputonawhitedressandanapricot-colouredlacemantilla，andtheywouldwalkanhourunderthecocoanutpalmsbythelagoon。Shesmiledcontentedly，andchoseapaperatrandomfromtherolltheboyhadbrought。

AtfirstthewordsofacertainheadlineofaSundaynewspapermeantnothingtoher；theyconveyedonlyavisualizedsenseoffamiliarity。Thelargesttyperanthus:"LloydB。Conantsecuresdivorce。"Andthenthesubheadings:"Well-knownSaintLouispaintmanufac-

turerwinssuit，pleadingoneyear"sabsenceofwife。"

"Hermysteriousdisappearancerecalled。""Nothinghasbeenheardofhersince。"

Twistingherselfquicklyoutofthehammock，Mrs。

Conant"seyesoontraversedthehalf-columnofthe"Recall。"Itendedthus:"ItwillberememberedthatMrs。ConantdisappearedoneeveninginMarchoflastyear。ItwasfreelyrumouredthathermarriagewithLloydB。Conantresultedinmuchunhappiness。Storieswerenotwantingtotheeffectthathiscrueltytowardhiswifehadmorethanoncetakentheformofphysicalabuse。Afterherdepartureafullbottleoftinctureofaconite，adeadlypoison，wasfoundinasmallmedicinecabinetinherbedroom。Thismighthavebeenanindicationthatshemeditatedsuicide。Itissupposedabandonedsuchanintentionifshepossessedit，andleftherhomeinstead。"

Mrs。Conantslowlydroppedthepaper，andsatonachair，claspingherhandstightly。

"Letmethink——OGod!——letmethink，"shewhis-

pered。"Itookthebottlewithme……Ithrewitoutofthewindowofthetrain……I……

therewasanotherbottleinthecabinet……thereweretwo，sidebyside——theaconite——andthevalerianthatItookwhenIcouldnotsleep……Iftheyfoundtheaconitebottlefull，why——but，heisalive，ofcourse——Igavehimonlyaharmlessdoseofvalerian……Iamnotamurderessinfact……Ralph，I——

0God，don"tletthisbeadream!"

ShewentintothepartofthehousethatsherentedfromtheoldPeruvianmanandhiswife，shutthedoor，andwalkedupanddownherroomswiftlyandfeverishlyforhalfanhour。Merriam"sphotographstoodinaframeonatable。Shepickeditup，lookedatitwithasmileofexquisitetenderness，and——droppedfourtearsonit。

AndMerriamonlytwentyrodsaway!Thenshestoodstillfortenminutes，lookingintospace。Shelookedintospacethroughaslowlyopeningdoor。OnhersideofthedoorwasthebuildingmaterialforacastleofRomance——

love，anArcadyofwavingpalms，alullabyofwavesontheshoreofahavenofrest，respite，peace，alotuslandofdreamyeaseandsecurity——alifeofpoetryandheart"seaseandrefuge。Romanticist，willyoutellmewhatMrs。Conantsawontheothersideofthedoor？Youcannot？——thatis，youwillnot？Verywell；thenlisten。

Shesawherselfgointoadepartmentstoreandbuyfivespoolsofsilkthreadandthreeyardsofginghamtomakeanapronforthecook。"ShallIchargeit，ma"am？"

askedtheclerk。Asshewalkedoutaladywhomshemetgreetedhercordially。"Oh，wheredidyougetthepatternforthosesleeves，dearMrs。Conant？"shesaid。Atthecornerapolicemanhelpedheracrossthestreetandtouchedhishelmet。"Anycallers？"sheaskedthemaidwhenshereachedhome。"Mrs。Waldron，"answeredthemaid，andthetqvoMissesJenkinson。""Verywell，"shesaid。

Youmaybringmeacupoftea，Maggie。"

Mrs。ConantwenttothedoorandcalledAngela，theoldPeruvianwoman。"IfMateoistheresendhimtome。"

Mateo，ahalf-breed，shufflingandoldbutefficient，came。

"Isthereasteameroravesselofanykindleavingthiscoastto-nightorto-morrowthatIcangetpassageon？"sheasked。

Mateoconsidered。

"AtPuntaReina，thirtymilesdownthecoast，se駉ra，"

heanswered，"thereisasmallsteamerloadingwithcinchonaanddyewoods。ShesailsforSanFranciscoto-morrowatsunrise。Sosaysmybrother，whoarrivedinhissloopto-day，passingbyPuntaReina。"

"Youmusttakemeinthatslooptothatsteamerto-night。Willyoudothat？"

"Perhaps——"Mateoshruggedasuggestiveshoul-

der。Mrs。Conanttookahandfulofmoneyfromadrawerandgaveittohim。

"Getthesloopreadybehindthelittlepointoflandbelowthetown，"sheordered。"Getsailors，andbereadytosailatsixo"clock。Inhalfanhourbringacartpartlyfilledwithstrawintothepatiohere，andtakemytrunktothesloop。Thereismoremoneyyet。Now，hurry。"

ForonetimeMateowalkedawaywithoutshufflinghisfeet。

"Angela，"criedMrs。Conant，almostfiercely，"comeandhelpmepack。Iamgoingaway。Outwiththistrunk。Myclothesfirst。Stiryourself。Thosedarkdressesfirst。Hurry。"

Fromthefirstshedidnotwaverfromherdecision。

Herviewwasclearandfinal。Herdoorhadopenedandlettheworldin。HerloveforMerriamwasnotlessened；butitnowappearedahopelessandunrealizablething。Thevisionsoftheirfuturethathadseemedsoblissfulandcompletehadvanished。Shetriedtoassureherselfthatherrenunciationwasratherforhissakethanforherown。Nowthatshewasclearedofherburden——

atleast，technically——wouldnothisownweightooheavilyuponhim？Ifsheshouldclingtohim，wouldnotthedifferenceforeversilentlymarandcorrodetheirhappiness？

Thusshereasoned；buttherewereathousandlittlevoicescallingtoherthatshecouldfeelratherthanhear，likethehumofdistant，powerfulmachinery——thelittlevoicesoftheworld，that，whenraisedinunison，cansendtheirinsistentcallthroughthethickestdoor。

Oncewhilepacking，abriefshadowofthelotusdreamcamebacktoher。SheheldMerriam"spicturetoherheartwithonehand，whileshethrewapairofshoesintothetrunkwithherother。

Atsixo"clockMateoreturnedandreportedthesloopready。Heandhisbrotherliftedthetrunkintothecart，covereditwithstrawandconveyedittothepointofembarkation。Fromtheretheytransferreditonboardinthesloop"sdory。ThenMateoreturnedforadditionalorders。

Mrs。Conantwasready。ShehadsettledallbusinessmatterswithAngela，andwasimpatientlywaiting。Sheworealong，looseblack-silkdusterthatsheoftenwalkedaboutinwhentheevenino"swerechilly。Onherheadwasasmallroundhat，andoverittheapricot-colouredlacemantilla。

Duskhadquicklyfollowedtheshorttwilight。Mateoledherbydarkandgrass-grownstreetstowardthepointbehindwhichthesloopwasanchored。OnturningacornertheybeheldtheHotelOrilladelMarthreestreetsaway，nebulouslyaglowwithitsarrayofkerosenelamps。

Mrs。Conantpaused，withstreamineyes。"Imust，ImustseehimoncebeforeIgo，"shemurmuredinanguish。Buteventhenshedidnotfalterinherdecision。

Quicklysheinventedaplanbywhichshemightspeaktohim，andyetmakeherdeparturewithouthisknowing。

Shewouldwalkpastthehotel，asksomeonetocallhimoutandtalkafewmomentsonsometrivialexcuse，leavinghimexpectingtoseeheratherhomeatseven。

SheunpinnedherhatandgaveittoMateo。"Keepthis，andwaitheretillIcome，"sheordered。Thenshedrapedthemantillaoverherheadassheusuallydidwhenwalkingaftersunset，andwentstraighttotheOrilladelMar。

Shewasgladtoseethebulky，white-cladfigureofTioPanchostandingaloneonthegallery。

"TioPancho，"shesaid，withacharmingsmile，"mayItroubleyoutoaskMr。MerriamtocomeoutforjustafewmomentsthatImayspeakwithhim？"

TioPanchobowedasanelephantbows。

"Buenastardes，Se駉raConant，"hesaid，asacavaliertalks。Andthenhewenton，lessathisease:

"Butdoesnotthese駉raknowthatSe駉rMerriamsailedonthePajaroforPanamaatthreeo"clockofthisafternoon？"

THETHEORYANDTHEHOUND

NOTmanydaysagomyoldfriendfromthetropics，J。P。Bridger，UnitedStatesconsulontheislandofRatona，wasinthecity。WehadwassailandjubileeandsawtheFlatironbuilding，andmissedseeingtheBronxlessmenageriebyaboutacoupleofnights。Andthen，attheebbtide，wewerewalkingupastreetthatparallelsandparodiesBroadway。

Awomanwithacomelyandmundanecountenancepassedus，holdinginleashawheezing，vicious，waddling，bruteofayellowpug。ThedogentangledhimselfwithBridger"slegsandmumbledhisanklesinasnarling，peevish，sulkybite。Bridger，withahappysmile，kickedthebreathoutofthebrute；thewomanshowereduswithaquickrainofwell-conceivedadjectivesthatleftusinnodoubtastoourplaceinheropinion，andwepassedon。Tenyardsfartheranoldwomanwithdis-

orderedwhitehairandherbankbooktuckedwellhiddenbeneathhertatteredshawlbegged。Bridgerstoppedanddisinterredforheraquarterfromhisholidaywaist-

coat。

Onthenextcorneraquarterofatonofwell-clothedmanwitharice-powdered，fat，whitejowl，stoodholdingthechainofadevil-bornbulldogwhoseforelegswerestrangersbythelengthofadachshund。Alittlewomaninalast-season"shatconfrontedhimandwept，whichwasplainlyallshecoulddo，whilehecursedherinlowsweet，practisedtones。

Bridgersmiledagain——strictlytohimself——andthistimehetookoutalittlememorandumbookandmadeanoteofit。Thishehadnorighttodowithoutdueexplanation，andIsaidso。

"It"sanewtheory，"saidBridger，"thatIpickedupdowninRatona。I"vebeengatheringsupportforitasI

knockabout。Theworldisn"tripeforityet，but——wellI"lltellyou；andthenyourunyourmindbackalongthepeopleyou"veknownandseewhatyoumakeofit。"

AndsoIcorneredBridgerinaplacewheretheyhaveartificialpalmsandwine；andhetoldmethestorywhichishereinmywordsandonhisresponsibility。

Oneafternoonatthreeo"clock，ontheislandofRatona，aboyracedalongthebeachscreaming，"Pajaro，ahoy!"

Thushemadeknownthekeennessofhishearingandthejusticeofhisdiscriminationinpitch。

Hewhofirstheardandmadeoralproclamationcon-

cerningthetootofanapproachingsteamer"swhistle，andcorrectlynamedthesteamer，wasasmallheroinRatona-untilthe"nextsteamercame。Wherefore，therewasrivalryamongthebarefootyouthofRatona，andmanyfellvictimstothesoftlyblownconchshellsofsloopswhich，astheyenterharbour，soundsurprisinglylikeadistantsteamer"ssignal。Andsomecouldnameyouthevesselwhenitscall，inyourdullerears，soundednolouderthanthesighofthewindthroughthebranchesofthecocoa-

nutpalms。

Butto-dayhewhoproclaimedthePajarogainedhishonours。Ratonabentitseartolisten；andsoonthedeep-tonguedblastgrewlouderandnearer，andatlengthRatonasawabovethelineofpalmsonthelow"joint"

thetwoblackfunnelsofthefruiterslowlycreepingtowardthemouthoftheharbour。

YoumustknowthatRatonaisanislandtwentymilesoffthesouthofaSouthAmericanrepublic。Itisaportofthatrepublic；anditsleepssweetlyinasmilingsea，toilingnotnorspinning；fedbytheabundanttropicswhereallthings"ripen，ceaseandfalltowardthegrave。"

Eighthundredpeopledreamlifeawayinagreen-

emboweredvillagethatfollowsthehorseshoecurveofitsbijouharbour。TheyaremostlySpanishandIndianmestizos，withashadingofSanDomingoNegroes，alighteningofpure-bloodSpanishofficialsandaslightleaveningofthefrothofthreeorfourpioneeringwhiteraces。NosteamerstouchatRatonasavethefruitsteamerswhichtakeontheirbananainspectorsthereontheirwaytothecoast。TheyleaveSundaynewspapers，ice，quinine，bacon，watermelonsandvaccinematterattheislandandthatisaboutallthetouchRatonagetswiththeworld。

ThePajaropausedatthemouthoftheharbour，rollingheavilyintheswellthatsentthewhitecapsracingbeyondthesmoothwaterinside。Alreadytwodoriesfromthevillage——oneconveyingfruitinspectors，theothergoingforwhatitcouldget——werehalfwayouttothesteamer。

Theinspectors"dorywastakenonboardwiththem，andthePajarosteamedawayforthemainlandforitsloadoffruit。

TheotherboatreturnedtoRatonabearingacontri-

butionfromthePajaro"sstoreofice，theusualrollofnewspapersandonepassenger——TaylorPlunkett，sheriffofChathamCounty，Kentucky。

Bridger，theUnitedStatesconsulatRatona，wasclean-

inghisrifleintheofficialshantyunderabread-fruittreetwentyyardsfromthewateroftheharbour。Theconsuloccupiedaplacesomewhatnearthetailofhispoliticalparty"sprocession。Themusicofthebandwagonsoundedveryfaintlytohiminthedistance。Theplumsofofficewenttoothers。Bridger"sshareofthespoils——

theconsulshipatRatona——waslittlemorethanaprune——adriedprunefromtheboarding-housedepartmentofthepubliccrib。But$900yearlywasopulenceinRatona。Besides，Bridgerhadcontractedapassionforshootingalligatorsinthelagoonsnearhisconsulate，andwasnotunhappy。

Helookedupfromacarefulinspectionofhisriflelockabroadmanfillinghisdoorway。Abroad，noiseless，slow-movingman，sunburnedalmosttotheVandyke。Amanofforty-five，neatlyclothedinhomespun，withscantylighthair，aclose-clippedbrown-

and-graybeardandpale-blueeyesexpressingmildnessimplicity。

"YouareMr。Bridger，theconsul，"saidthebroadman。"Theydirectedmehere。Canyoutellmewhatthosebigbunchesofthingslikegourdsareinthosetreesthatlooklikefeatherdustersalongtheedgeofthewater？"

"Takethatchair，"saidtheconsul，reoilinghisclean-

ingrag。"No，theotherone——thatbamboothingwon"tholdyou。Why，they"recocoanuts——greencocoanuts。

Theshellof"emisalwaysalightgreenbeforethey"reripe。"

"Muchobliged，"saidtheotherman，sittingdowncarefully。"Ididn"tquiteliketotellthefolksathometheywereolivesunlessIwassureaboutit。MynameisPlunkett。I"msheriffofChathamCounty，Kentucky。

I"vegotextraditionpapersinmypocketauthorizingthearrestofamanonthisisland。They"vebeensignedbythePresidentofthiscountry，andthey"reincorrectshape。

Theman"snameisWadeWilliams。He"sinthecocoa-

nutraisingbusiness。Whathe"swantedforisthemurderofhiswifetwoyearsago。WherecanIfindhim？"

Theconsulsquintedaneyeandlookedthroughhisriflebarrel。

"There"snobodyontheislandwhocallshimself"Wil-

liams，""heremarked。

"Didn"tsupposetherewas，"saidPlunkettmildly。

"He"lldobyanyothername。"

"Besidesmyself，"saidBridger，"thereareonlytwoAmericansonRatona——BobReevesandHenryMorgan。"

"ThemanIwantsellscocoanuts，"suggestedPlunkett。

"Youseethatcocoanutwalkextendinguptothepoint？"saidtheconsul，wavinghishandtowardtheopendoor。"ThatbelongstoBobReeves。HenryMorganownshalfthetreestoloo"ardontheisland。"

"One，monthago，"saidthesheriff，"WadeWilliamswroteaconfidentiallettertoamaninChathamcounty，tellinghimwherehewasandhowhewasgettingalong。

Theletterwaslost；andthepersonthatfounditgaveitaway。Theysentmeafterhim，andI"vegotthepapers。

Ireckonhe"soneofyourcocoanutmenforcertain。"

"You"vegothispicture，ofcourse，"saidBridger。

"ItmightbeReevesorMorgan，butI"dhatetothinkit。

They"rebothasfinefellowsasyou"dmeetinanall-dayautoride。"

"No，"doubtfullyansweredPlunkett；"therewasn"tanypictureofWilliamstobehad。AndIneversawhimmyself。I"vebeensheriffonlyayear。ButI"vegotaprettyaccuratedescriptionofhim。About5feet11；

dark-hairandeyes；noseinclinedtobeRoman；heavyabouttheshoulders；strong，whiteteeth，withnonemiss-

ing；laughsagooddeal，talkative；drinksconsiderablybutnevertointoxication；looksyousquareintheeyewhentalking；agethirty-five。Whichoneofyourmendoesthatdescriptionfit？"

Theconsulgrinnedbroadly。

"I"lltellyouwhatyoudo，"hesaid，layingdownhisrifleandslippingonhisdingyblackalpacacoat。"Youcomealong，Mr。Plunkett，——andI"lltakeyouuptoseetheboys。Ifyoucantellwhichoneof"emyourdescrip-

tionfitsbetterthanitdoestheotheryouhavetheadvan-

tageofme。"

Bridgerconductedthesheriffoutandalongthehardbeachclosetowhichthetinyhousesofthevillageweredistributed。Immediatelybackofthetownrosesudden，small，thicklywoodedhills。Uponeofthese，bymeansofstepscutinthehardclay，theconsulledPlunkett。

theveryvergeofaneminencewasperched，atwo-

roomwoodencottagewithathatchedroof。ACaribwomanwaswashingclothesoutside。Theconsulusheredthesherifftothedooroftheroomthatover-

lookedtheharbour。

Twomenwereintheroom，abouttositdown，intheirshirtsleeves，toatablespreadfordinner。Theyborelittleresemblanceonetotheotherindetail；butthegeneraldescriptiongivenbyPlunkettcouldhavebeenjustlyappliedtoeither。Inheight，colourofhair，shapeofnose，buildandmannerseachofthemtalliedwithit。

Theywerefairtypesofjovial，ready-witted，broad-

gaugedAmericanswhohadgravitatedtogetherforcom-

panionshipinanalienland。

"Hello，Bridger"theycalledinunisonatsightOftheconsul。"Comeandhavedinnerwithus!"AndthentheynoticedPlunkettathisheels，andcameforwardwithhospitablecuriosity。

"Gentlemen，"saidtheconsul，hisvoicetakingonunaccustomedformality，"thisisMr。Plunkett。Mr。

Plunkett——Mr。ReevesandMr。Morgan。"

Thecocoanutbaronsgreetedthenewcomerjoyously。

ReevesseemedaboutaninchtallerthanMorgan，buthislaughwasnotquiteasloud。Morgan"seyeswere-

deepbrown；Reeves"swereblack。ReeveswasthehostandbusiedhimselfwithfetchingotherchairsandcallingtotheCaribwomanforsupplementaltableware。ItwasexplainedthatMorganlivedinabambooshackto。

loo"ard，butthateverydaythetwofriendsdinedtogether。Plunkettstoodstillduringthepreparations，lookingaboutmildlywithhispale-blueeyes。Bridgerlookedapologeticanduneasy。

Atlengthtwoothercoverswerelaidandthecompany-

wasassignedtoplaces。ReevesandMorganstoodsidebysideacrossthetablefromthevisitors。Reevesnoddedgeniallyasasignalforalltoseatthemselves。AndthensuddenlyPlunkettraisedhishandwithagestureofauthority。HewaslookingstraightbetweenReevesandMorgan。

"WadeWilliams，"hesaidquietly，"youareunderarrestformurder。"

ReevesandMorganinstantlyexchangedaquick，brightglance，thequalityofwhichwasinterrogation，withaseasoningofsurprise。Then，simultaneouslytheyturnedtothespeakerwithapuzzledandfrankdepre-

cationintheirgaze。

"Can"tsaythatweunderstandyou，Mr。Plunkett，"

saidMorgan，cheerfully。"Didyousay"Williams"？"

"What"sthejoke，Bridgy？"askedReeves，turning，totheconsulwithasmile。

BeforeBridgercouldanswerPlunkettspokeagain。

"I"llexplain，"hesaid，quietly。"Oneofyoudon"tneedanyexplanation，butthisisfortheotherone。OneofyouisWadeWilliamsofChathamCounty，Kentucky。

YoumurderedyourwifeonMay5，twoyearsago，afterill-treatingandabusinghercontinuallyforfiveyears。I

havetheproperpapersinmypocketfortakingyoubackwithme，andyouaregoing。Wewillreturnonthefruitsteamerthatcomesbackbythisislandto-morrowtoleaveitsinspectors。Iacknowledge，gentlemen，thatI"mnotquitesurewhichoneofyouisWilliams。ButWadeWilliamsgoesbacktoChathamCountyto-morrow。

Iwantyoutounderstandthat。"

AgreatsoundofmerrylaughterfromMorganandReeveswentoutoverthestillharbour。TwoorthreefishermeninthefleetofsloopsanchoredtherelookedupatthehouseofthediablosAmericanosonthehillandwondered。

"MydearMr。Plunkett，"criedMorgan，conqueringhismirth，"thedinnerisgetting，cold。Letussitdownandeat。Iamanxioustogetmyspoonintothatshark-

finsoup。Businessafterward。"

"Sitdown，gentlemen，ifyouplease，"addedReeves，pleasantly。"IamsureMr。Plunkettwillnotobject。

Perhapsalittletimemaybeofadvantagetohiminidenti-

fying——thegentlemenhewishestoarrest。"

"Noobjections，I"msure，"saidPlunkett，droppingintohischairheavily。"I"mhungrymyself。Ididn"twanttoacceptthehospitalityofyoufolkswithoutgivingyounotice；that"sall。"

Reevessetbottlesandglassesonthetable。

"There"scognac，"hesaid，"andanisada，andScotch"smoke，"andrye。Takeyourchoice。"

Bridgerchoserye，ReevespouredthreefingersofScotchforhimself，Morgantookthesame。Thesheriff，againstmuchprotestation，filledhisglassfromthewaterbottle。

"Here"stotheappetite，"saidReeves，raisinghisglass，"ofMr。Williams!"Morgan"slaughandhisdrinkencounteringsenthimintoachokingsplutter。Allbegantopayattentiontothedinner，whichwaswellcookedandpalatable。

"Williams!"calledPlunkett，suddenlyandsharply。

Alllookedupwonderingly。Reevesfoundthesheriff"smildeyerestinguponhim。Heflushedalittle。

"Seehere，"hesaid，withsomeasperity，"myname"sReeves，andIdon"twantyoutoo——"Butthecomedyofthethingcametohisrescue，andheendedwithalaugh。

"Isuppose，Mr。Plunkett，"saidMorgan，carefullyseasoninganalligatorpear，"thatyouareawareofthefactthatyouwillimportagooddealoftroubleforyour-

selfintoKentuckyifyoutakebackthewrongman——

thatis，ofcourse，ifyoutakeanybodyback？"

"Thankyouforthesalt，"saidthesheriff。"Oh，I"lltakesomebodyback。It"llbeoneofyoutwogentlemen。

Yes，IknowI"dgetstuckfordamagesifImakeamis-

take。ButI"mgoingtotrytogettherightman。"

"I"lltellyouwhatyoudo，"saidMorgan，leaningfor-

wardwithajollytwinkleinhiseyes。"Youtakeme。

I"llgowithoutanytrouble。Thecocoanutbusinesshasn"tpannedoutwellthisyear，andI"dliketomakesomeextramoneyoutofyourbondsmen。"

"That"snotfair，"chimedinReeves。"Igotonly$16athousandformylastshipment。Takeme，Mr。

Plunkett。"

"I"lltakeWadeWilliams，"saidthesheriff，patiently，"orI"llcomeprettyclosetoit。"

"It"slikediningwithaghost，"remarkedMorgan，withapretendedshiver。"Theghostofamurderer，too!

WillsomebodypassthetoothpickstotheshadeofthenaughtyMr。Williams？"

PlunkettseemedasunconcernedasifhewerediningathisowntableinChathamCounty。Hewasagallanttrencherman，andthestrangetropicviandstickledhispalate。Heavy，commonplace，almostslothfulinhismovements，heappearedtobedevoidofallthecunningandwatchfulnessofthesleuth。Heevenceasedtoobserve，withanysharpnessorattempteddiscrimination，thetwomen，oneofwhomhehadundertakenwithsur-

prisingself-confidence，todragawayupontheseriouschargeofwife-murder。Here，indeed，wasaproblemsetbeforehimthatifwronglysolvedwouldhaveamountedtohisseriousdiscomfiture，yettherehesatpuzzlinghissoul(toallappearances)overthenovelflavourofabroilediguanacutlet。

Theconsulfeltadecideddiscomfort。ReevesandMorganwerehisfriendsandpals；yetthesherifffromKentuckyhadacertainrighttohisofficialaidandmoralsupport。SoBridgersatthesilentestaroundtheboardandtriedtoestimatethepeculiarsituation。Hiscon-

clusionwasthatbothReevesandMorgan，quickwitted，asheknewthemtobe，hadconceivedatthemomentofPlunkett"sdisclosureofhismission——andinthebriefspaceofalightningflash——theideathattheothermightbetheguiltyWilliams；andthateachofthemhaddecidedinthatmomentloyallytoprotecthiscomradeagainstthedoomthatthreatenedhim。Thiswastheconsul"stheory。

andifhehadbeenabookmakerataraceofwitsforlifeandlibertyhewouldhaveofferedheavyoddsagainsttheploddingsherifffromChathamCounty，Kentucky。

WhenthemealwasconcludedtheCaribwomancameandremovedthedishesandcloth。Reevesstrewedthemtablewithexcellentcigars，andPlunkett，withtheothers，lightedoneofthesewithevidentgratification。

"Imaybedull，"saidMorgan，withagrinandawinkatBridger；"butIwanttoknowifIam。Now，IsaythisisallajokeofMr。Plunkett"s，concoctedtofrighten。

twobabes-in-the-woods。IsthisWilliamsontobetakenseriouslyornot？"

""Williams，""correctedPlunkettgravely。"Inevergotoffanyjokesinmylife。IknowIwouldn"ttravel2，000milestogetoffapooroneasthiswouldbeifI

didn"ttakeWadeWilliamsbackwithme。Gentlemen!"

continuedthesheriff，nowlettinghismildeyestravelimpartiallyfromoneofthecompanytoanother，"seeifyoucanfindanyjokeinthiscase。WadeWilliamsislisteningtothewordsIutternow；butoutofpoliteness，Iwillspeakofhimasathirdperson。Forfiveyearshemadehiswifeleadthelifeofadog——No；I"lltakethatback。NodoginKentuckywasevertreatedasshewas。

Hespentthemoneythatshebroughthim——spentitatraces，atthecardtableandonhorsesandhunting。Hewasagoodfellowtohisfriends，butacold，sullendemonathome。Hewoundupthefiveyearsofneglectbystrik-

ingherwithhisclosedhand——ahandashardasastone——whenshewasillandweakfromsuffering。Shediedthenextday；andheskipped。That"sallthereistoit。

It"senough。IneversawWilliams；butIknewhiswife。I"mnotamantotellhalf。SheandIwerekeep-

ingcompanywhenshemethim。ShewenttoLouisvilleonavisitandsawhimthere。I"lladmitthathespoiltmychancesinnotime。IlivedthenontheedgeoftheCumberlandmountains。IwaselectedsheriffofChathamCountyayearafterWadeWilliamskilledhiswife。Myofficialdutysendsmeouthereafterhim；butI"lladmitthatthere"spersonalfeeling，too。Andhe"sgoingbackwithme。Mr——er——Reeves，willyoupassmeamatch？

"AwfullyimprudentofWilliams，"saidMorgan，puttinghisfeetupagainstthewall，"tostrikeaKentuckylady。

SeemstomeI"veheardtheywerescrappers。"

"Bad，badWilliams，"saidReeves，pouringoutmoreScotch。"

Thetwomenspokelightly，buttheconsulsawandfeltthetensionandthecarefulnessintheiractionsandwords。"Goodoldfellows，"hesaidtohimself；"they"rebothallright。Eachof"emisstandingbytheotherlikealittlebrickchurch。"

Andthenadogwalkedintotheroomwheretheysat——

ablack-and-tanhound，long-eared，lazy，confidentofwelcome。

Plunkettturnedhisheadandlookedattheanimal，whichhalted，confidently，withinafewfeetofhischair。

Suddenlythesheriff，withadeep-mouthedoath，lefthisseatand，bestoweduponthedogaviciousandheavykick，withhisponderousshoe。

Thehound，heartbroken，astonished，withflappingearsandincurvedtail，utteredapiercingyelpofpainandsurprise。

Reevesandtheconsulremainedintheirchairs，say-

ingnothing，butastonishedattheunexpectedshowofintolerancefromtheeasy-going-manfromChathamcounty。

ButMorgan，withasuddenlypurplingface，leaped，tohisfeetandraisedathreateningarmabovetheguest。

"You——brute!"heshouted，passionately；"whydidyoudothat？"

Quicklytheamenitiesreturned，Plunkettmutteredsomeindistinctapologyandregainedhisseat。Morganwithadecidedeffortcontrolledhisindignationandalsoreturnedtohischair。

AndthenPlunkettwiththespringofatiger，leapedaroundthecornerofthetableandsnappedhandcuffsontheparalyzedMorgan"swrists。

"Hound-loverandwoman-killer!"hecried；"getreadytomeetyourGod。"

WhenBridgerhadfinishedIaskedhim:

"Didhegettherightman？"

"Hedid，"saidtheConsul。

"Andhowdidheknow？"Iinquired，beinginakindofbewilderment。

"WhenheputMorganinthedory，"answeredBridger，"thenextdaytotakehimaboardthePajaro，thismanPlunkettstoppedtoshakehandswithmeandIaskedhimthesamequestion。"

""Mr。Bridger，"saidhe，"I"maKentuckian，andI"veseenagreatdealofbothmenandanimals。AndIneveryetsawamanthatwasoverfondofhorsesanddogsbutwhatwascrueltowomen。""

THEHYPOTHESESOFFAILURE

LAWYERGOOCHbestowedhisundividedattentionupontheengrossingartsofhisprofession。Butoneflightoffancydidheallowhismindtoentertain。Hewasfondoflikeninghissuiteofofficeroomstothebot-

tomofaship。Theroomswerethreeinnumber，withadooropeningfromonetoanother。Thesedoorscouldalsobeclosed。

"Ships，"LawyerGoochwouldsay，"areconstructedforsafety，withseparate，water-tightcompartmentsintheirbottoms。Ifonecompartmentspringsaleakitfillswithwater；butthegoodshipgoesonunhurt。Wereitnotfortheseparatingbulkheadsoneleakwouldsinkthevessel。NowitoftenhappensthatwhileIamoccu-

piedwithclients，otherclientswithconflictinginterestscall。WiththeassistanceofArchibald——anofficeboywithafuture——Icausethedangerousinfluxtobedivertedintoseparatecompartments，whileIsoundwithmylegalplummetthedepthofeach。Ifneces-

sary，theymaybehaledintothehallwayandpermittedtoescapebywayofthestairs，whichwemaytermtheleescuppers。Thusthegoodshipofbusinessiskeptafloat；

whereasiftheelementthatsupportsherwereallowedtominglefreelyinherholdwemightbeswamped——ha，ha，ha!

Thelawisdry。Goodjokesarefew。SurelyitmightbepermittedLawyerGoochtomitigatetheboreofbriefs，thetediumoftortsandtheprosinessofprocesseswithevensolightalevyuponthegoodpropertyofhumour。

LawyerGooch"spracticeleanedlargelytothesettle-

mentofmaritalinfelicities。Didmatrimonylanguishthroughcomplications，hemediated，soothedandarbi-

trated。Diditsufferfromimplications，hereadjusted，defendedandchampioned。Diditarriveattheextremityofduplications，healwaysgotlightsentencesforhisclients。

ButnotalwayswasLawyerGoochthekeen，armed，wilybelligerent，readywithhistwo-edgedswordtolopofftheshacklesofHymen。Hehadbeenknowntobuildupinsteadofdemolishing，toreuniteinsteadofsevering，toleaderringandfoolishonesbackintothefoldinsteadofscatteringtheflock。Oftenhadhebyhiseloquentandmovingappealssenthusbandandwife，weeping，backintoeachother"sarms。Frequentlyhehadcoachedchildhoodsosuccessfullythat，atthepsychologicalmoment(andatagivensignal)theplaintivepipeof"Papa，won"tyouturnhomeadaintomeandmuvver？"

hadwonthedayandupheldthepillarsofatotteringhome。

UnprejudicedpersonsadmittedthatLawyerGoochreceivedasbigfeesfromtheserevokedclientsaswouldhavebeenpaidhimhadthecasesbeencontestedincourt。

Prejudicedonesintimatedthathisfeesweredoubled。

becausethepenitentcouplesalwayscamebacklaterforthedivorce，anyhow。

TherecameaseasoninJunewhenthelegalshipofLawyerGooch(toborrowhisownfigure)wasnearlybecalmed。ThedivorcemillgrindsslowlyinJune。ItisthemonthofCupidandHymen。

LawyerGooch，then，satidleinthemiddleroomofhisclientlesssuite。Asmallanteroomconnected——orratherseparated——thisapartmentfromthehallway。

HerewasstationedArchibald，whowrestedfromvisitorstheircardsororalnomenclaturewhichheboretohismasterwhiletheywaited。

Suddenly，onthisday，therecameagreatknockingattheoutermostdoor。

Archibald，openingit，wasthrustasideassuperfluousbythevisitor，whowithoutduereverenceatoncepene-

tratedtotheofficeofLawyerGoochandthrewhimselfwithgood-naturedinsolenceintoacomfortablechairfacingthatgentlemen。

"YouarePhineasC。Gooch，attorney-at-law？"saidthevisitor，histoneofvoiceandinflectionmakinghiswordsatonceaquestion，anassertionandanaccusation。

Beforecommittinghimselfbyareply，thelawyeresti-

matedhispossibleclientinoneofhisbriefbutshrewdandcalculatingglances。

Themanwasoftheemphatictype——large-sized，active，boldanddebonairindemeanour，vainbeyondadoubt，slightlyswaggering，readyandatease。Hewaswell-

clothed，butwithashadetoomuchornateness。Hewasseekingalawyer；butifthatfactwouldseemtosaddlehimwithtroublestheywerenotpatentinhisbeamingeyeandcourageousair。

"MynameisGooch，"atlengththelawyeradmitted。