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。
