The Coming of Bill

mbarking on his wooing of Ruth Bannister,failed signally to do so. Lora Delane Porter beamed gracio

the air, and were uneasy, like cattle before a thunder-storm. Thefact that the visits of Mrs. Porter and Ruth to inquire after George,now of daily occurrence, took place in the afternoon, while they,Kirk's depen

y at nothing. To slap him on theback at such moments, as Wren ventured to do on one occasion, Wrenbelonging to the jovial school of thought which holds that nature gaveus hands in order to slap backs, was to bring forth a new andunexpected

est, which he had counted on to set the table ina roar, produced from Kirk criticism so adverse and so crisplydelivered that he refrained from telling hi

such a prospect. It was not till hisconscientious and laborious courtship had been in progress for over twoweeks and was nearing the stage when he felt that the possi

as one Burrows, a kindly member of the Lambs Club. But fate and atelegram from a manager removed Burrows to Chicago, while Percy wasactually cir

im, the reluctance with which he madethe introduction, the glumness with which he bore his share o

ervation. Brief as his visit was, he came awayas certain that Kirk was in love with thi

ng hard. The subjectoccupying his mind was th

ew comedy. The comedy had been what itsenthusiastic backer had described in the newspaper advertisements as a"rousing live-wire success." That is to say, it

happened along, he hadrested, living in the my

amiable Burrows, who weregood for occasional l

whole soul rose in revolt against the prospect ofbeing deprived of this source of revenue, as so

ter of oldJohn Bannister. There was no doubt about that. How she had found herway to Kirk's studio he could not understand; but there she certainlywas, and Percy was willing to bet the twenty

igns of any portrait, and Kirk'sembarrassment had been so obvious that, if there had been any suchexpl

yoccupied in a back room instilling into George Pennicut the gospel ofthe fit body. For George, now restored to health, had ceased to be

entlessly through his exercises. George's groans,as he moved his stout limbs along the dotte

If George so much asbent his knees while touching hi

he bodily salvation of George while, at thesame time, furthering the loves of Ruth and Kirk by leav

n anonymous letter. This plan heabandoned from motives of fear rather than of self-respect. Anonymousletters ar

e bitterness of futile effort, when fortune, always hisfriend, put him in a position

little relaxation of an evening when his father happened to be out oftow

ved,beautifully arrayed and discreetly jovial, partaking of lobster at oneof those Broadway palaces where this fish is in brisk dem

iss. Like Clarence, she isof no importance to the story. The other, who, not finding Bailey'smeasured remarks very gripping, was allowing her gaze to wander idlyaround the room, has t

the room, as he did at that mom

st'," sheexplained to Bailey as Percy made his way toward them.

ittle fellers" who helped them to keepthe national drama sizzling he felt less in sympathy; and he res

aray of sunshine, deliberately tried to be chilly, those with him at the

, little knowingthat fate had already solved the prob

f not, he was feeling so tired and depressed that he was readyto take the bull by the horns and pay for his meal himself. He hadobeyed Miss Fre

Where youbeen hiding yourself?"Percy gave a languid gestur

Miss Reece, "shake ha

u made such a hit as the pinin 'Pinafore'!"T

ster, themillionaire?"Bailey favoured him with a scrutiny throug

and he is a millionaire."Percy m

Imeet her frequently at the studio of my friend Kirk Winfield. Very

ister. Delighted to have made your acquaintance. Youmust come round to the studio one

n that night with her friendalluded to him, not without justice, first as "that stiff," and, later,as "a dead one."* * * * *If Percy Shanklyn could have seen Bailey in the small hours of thatnight he would have been satisfied that his words had borne fruit. Likea modern Pro

sion that they were, as a class,shock-headed, unwashed persons of no social standing whatever,extremely sho

ce in the mirror shocked him.

ad come from her late the previous evening to saythat she was spending the night at the apar

ousinfluence, Ruth would have been an ordinary sweet American g

ubles that his father

oved of his departure. But now he would havegiven much to have him on the spot. He did not doubt

in his studio grew with the minutes. It would be his privilegevery shortl

n would be safe for thetime being in the hands of the head clerk. Having telephoned to WallStreet to announce his decis

n and stated without preamble the exact number of monthswhich would elapse before Mr. Bannister living his present life, wouldmake first-hand acquaintance with it. He insisted on a regular routineof exercise. The

were not long. Thirt

uties were over for the day. But Steve wasconscientious and checked any disposition on the pa

n his Wall Street office to see themeekness with which the old man obeyed orders. But John Banniste

just after hisseventeenth birthday, twelve months before his entry into the Bannisterhome, leaving behind him a rec

lation of what he described as the bunch ofcheeses who pretended to fight nowadays. He would have considered it aprivilege, it seemed, to be allowed to encount

er a visit the day after his celebratedunpleasantness with that rugged warrior, Pat O'Flaherty (_ne_Smith), and, though he had knocked Pat out midway through the secondround, he bore away from the arena a black eye of such a startlingri

were times when the temptationto knock the head off Battling Dick this and Fighting Jack that becamealmost

g with a force and precision which showed that the bunch ofcheeses ought to

Dingle," said B

l sense, perfectly square. This was dueto the breadth of his shoulders, which was quite out of proportion tohis height. His chest was extraordinarily deep, and his stomach an

ved, in a manner bothfascinating and frightening. His face increased the illusion ofsquareness, for he had thick, straight eyebrows, a straight mouth, anda chin of almost the minimum deg

he gang last night in one of them lobsterparlours."Bailey objected to being addressed as "bo,"

l mind should attributeto a surfeit of lobster a

the cause. Things have occurred toannoy me intensely.""You should worry!" advised Steve. "Catch!"The hea

rt of thing."Steve was delighted. It amused his simple, honest soul to catch

g, he loved best the s

ught it and whizzed itback at me, and maybe, if I hadn't been ready for it, you might haveknocked the breeze out of me.""I should have derived no pleasure-----""Why, say, suppose a plug-ugly sasshays up to you on the street to takea crack at your pearl stick-pin, do you reckon he's going to drop you apostal card f

s. A left jab fromhim had all the majesty of a formal declaration of war. If he was atrifle slow in his movements for a pas

ve, made himfeel better than he had imagined he could feel after that night ofspiritual storm and stress. He was glowing as

to be a regularterror.""You think I shape well?""Sure.""I am glad. This morning I am going to thr

?" said St

I cannot tell you that. But he richly deserves what

he a heavy or a middle or a welter or what? It makes akind o' difference, you know.""I cannot say. I have not seen him.""What! Not seen him? Then how's there this fuss between you?""That is a matter into which I cannot go.""Well, what's his n

otten," he s

e he lives?""I am afraid not."Stev

nd so it came about that Bailey, instead of falling upon KirkWinfield,