OnthedayafterhisdinnerwithMr。andMrs。
BertramHenshaw，HughCalderwellleftBostonanddidnotreturnuntilmorethanamonthhadpassed。Oneofhisfirstacts，whenhedidcome，wastolookupMr。M。J。ArkwrightattheaddresswhichBillyhadgivenhim。
CalderwellhadnotseenArkwrightsincetheypartedinParissometwoyearsbefore，afterasix-
monthstrampthroughEuropetogether。CalderwelllikedArkwrightthen，greatly，andhelostnotimenowinrenewingtheacquaintance。
Theaddress，asgivenbyBilly，provedtobeanattractivebutmodestapartmenthotelneartheConservatoryofMusic；andCalderwellwasdelightedtofindArkwrightathomeinhiscomfortablelittlebachelorsuite。
Arkwrightgreetedhimmostcordially。
Well，well，’hecried，ifitisn’tCalderwell!
Andhow’sMontBlanc？OrisittheKillarneyLakesthistime，ormaybetheSphinxthatI
shouldinquirefor，eh？’
Guessagain，’laughedCalderwell，throwingoffhisheavycoatandsettlinghimselfcomfortablyintheinviting-lookingmorrischairhisfriendpulledforward。
Sha’n’tdoit，’retortedArkwright，withasmile。Inevergambleonpalpableuncertainties，exceptforachancethrowortwo，asIgaveaminuteago。Yourmovementsarealtogethertooerratic，andtoofar-reaching，forordinarymortalstokeeptrackof。’
Well，maybeyou’reright，’grinnedCalderwell，appreciatively。Anyhow，youwouldhavelostthistime，surething，forI’vebeenworking。’
Seenthedoctoryet？’queriedArkwright，coolly，pushingthecigarsacrossthetable。
Thanks——forboth，’sniffedCalderwell，withareproachfulglance，helpinghimself。Yourgoodjudgmentinsomemattersisstillunimpaired，Isee，’heobserved，tappingthelittlegildedbandwhichhadtoldhimthecigarwasanoldfavorite。
Astoothermatters，however，——you’rewrongagain，myfriend，inyoursurmise。Iamnotsick，andIhavebeenworking。’
So？Well，I’mtoldtheyhaveverygoodspecialistshere。Someoneofthemoughttohityourcase。Still——howlonghasitbeenrunning？’Arkwright’sfaceshowedonlygraveconcern。
Oh，come，letup，Arkwright，’snappedCalderwell，strikinghismatchalightwithavigorousjerk。I’lladmitIhaven’tevergivenany_special_
indicationofanabsorbingpassionforwork。Butwhatcanyouexpectofafellowbornwithawholedozensilverspoonsinhismouth？Andthat’swhatIwas，accordingtoBertramHenshaw。
Accordingtohimagain，it’sawonderI
evertriedtofeedmyself；andperhapshe’sright——withmymouthalreadysofull。’
Ishouldsayso，’laughedArkwright。
Well，bethatasitmay。I’mgoingtofeedmyself，andI’mgoingtoearnmyfeed，too。I
haven’tclimbedamountainorpaddledacanoe，forayear。I’vebeeninChicagocultivatingtheacquaintanceofJohnDoeandRichardRoe。’
Youmean——law？’
Sure。Istudiedithereforawhile，beforethatboutofoursacoupleofyearsago。Billydrovemeaway，then。’
Billy!——er——Mrs。Henshaw？’
Yes。IthoughtItoldyou。Sheturneddownmytenth-dozenproposalsoemphaticallythatI
lostallinterestinBostonandtooktothetalltimberagain。ButI’vecomeback。Afriendofmyfather’swrotemetocomeonandconsideragoodopeningtherewasinhislawoffice。Icameonamonthago，andconsidered。ThenIwentbacktopackup。NowI’vecomeforgood，andhereIam。Youhavemyhistorytodate。Nowtellmeofyourself。You’relookingasfitasapennyfromthemint，eventhoughyouhavediscardedthat`lovely’brownbeard。Wasthataconcessionto——er——_MaryJane_？’
Arkwrightliftedaquickhandofprotest。
`MichaelJeremiah，’please。Thereisno`MaryJane，’now，’hesaidabitstiffly。
Theotherstaredalittle。Thenhegavealowchuckle。
`MichaelJeremiah，’’herepeatedmusingly，eyeingtheglowingtipofhiscigar。Andtothinkhowthatmysterious`M。J。’usedtotantalizeme!Doyoumean，’headded，turningslowly，thatnoonecallsyou`MaryJane’
now？’
Notiftheyknowwhatisbestforthem。’
Oh!’Calderwellnotedthesmoulderingfireintheother’seyesalittlecuriously。Verywell。I’lltakethehint——MichaelJeremiah。’
Thanks。’Arkwrightrelaxedalittle。Totellthetruth，I’vehadquiteenoughnow——ofMaryJane。’
Verygood。Sobeit，’noddedtheother，stillregardinghisfriendthoughtfully。Buttellme——whatofyourself？’
Arkwrightshruggedhisshoulders。
There’snothingtotell。You’veseen。I’mhere。’
Humph!Verypretty，’scoffedCalderwell。
Thenif_you_won’ttell，I_will_。IsawBillyamonthago，yousee。Itseemsyou’vehitthetrailforGrandOpera，asyouthreatenedtothatnightinParis；butyou_haven’t_broughtupinvaudeville，asyouprophesiedyouwoulddo——though，forthatmatter，judgingfromtheplumssomeofthestarsarepickingonthevaudevillestage，nowadays，thatisn’ttobesneezedat。ButBillysaysyou’vemadetwoorthreeappearancesalreadyonthesacredboardsthemselves——oneofthemasubscriptionperformance——andthatyoucreatednoendofasensation。’
Nonsense!I’mmerelyastudentattheOperaSchoolhere，’scowledArkwright。
Oh，yes，Billysaidyouwerethat，butshealsosaidyouwouldn’tbe，long。Thatyou’dalreadyhadonegoodoffer——I’mnotspeakingofmarriage——
andthatyouweregoingabroadnextsummer，andthattheywereallinsufferablyproudofyou。’
Nonsense!’scowledArkwright，again，coloringlikeagirl。Thatisonlysomeof——ofMrs。
Henshaw’skindflattery。’
Calderwelljerkedthecigarfrombetweenhislips，andsatsuddenlyforwardinhischair。
Arkwright，tellmeaboutthem。Howaretheymakingitgo？’
Arkwrightfrowned。
Who？Makewhatgo？’heasked。
TheHenshaws。Isshehappy？Ishe——onthesquare？’
Arkwright’sfacedarkened。
Well，really，’hebegan；butCalderwellinterrupted。
Oh，come；don’tbesqueamish。YouthinkI’mbuttingintowhatdoesn’tconcernme；butI’mnot。WhatconcernsBillydoesconcernme。
Andifhedoesn’tmakeherhappy，I’ll——I’llkillhim。’
InspiteofhimselfArkwrightlaughed。Thevehemenceoftheother’swords，andthefiercenesswithwhichhepuffedathiscigarashefellbackinhischairweremostexpressiveWell，Idon’tthinkyouneedtoloadrevolversnorsharpendaggers，justyet，’heobservedgrimly。
Calderwelllaughedthistime，thoughwithoutmuchmirth。
Oh，I’mnotinlovewithBilly，now，’heexplained。Pleasedon’tthinkIam。Ishouldn’tseeherifIwas，ofcourse。’
Arkwrightchangedhispositionsuddenly，bringinghisfaceintotheshadow。Calderwelltalkedonwithoutpausing。
No，I’mnotinlovewithBilly。ButBilly’satrump。Youknowthat。’
Ido。’Thewordswerelow，butsteadilyspoken。
Ofcourseyoudo!Wealldo。Andwewantherhappy。ButasforhermarryingBertram——
youcouldhavebowledmeoverwithasoapbubblewhenIheardshe’ddoneit。Nowunderstand：
Bertramisagoodfellow，andIlikehim。I’veknownhimallhislife，andhe’sallright。Oh，sixoreightyearsago，tobesure，hegotinwithasetoffellows——BobSeaverandhisclique——thatwerenogood。WentinforBohemianism，andallthatrot。Itwasn’tgoodforBertram。He’sgottheconfoundedtemperamentthatgoeswithhistalent，Isuppose——thoughwhyamancan’tpaintapicture，orsingasong，andkeephistemperandalevelheadIdon’tsee!’
Hecan，’cutinArkwright，withcurtemphasis。
Humph!Well，that’swhatIthink。But，aboutthismarriagebusiness。Bertramadmiresaprettyfacewhereverheseesit——_topaint_，andalwayshas。Notbutthathe’sstraightasastringwithwomen——Idon’tmeanthat；
butgirlsarealwaysjustsomanypicturestobepickeduponhisbrushesandtransferredtohiscanvases。Andasforhissettlingdownandmarryinganybodyforkeeps，rightalong——GreatScott!imagineBertramHenshawasa_domestic_
man!’
Arkwrightstirredrestlesslyashespokeupinquickdefense：
Oh，butheis，Iassureyou。I——I’veseenthemintheirhometogether——manytimes。I
thinktheyare——veryhappy。’Arkwrightspokewithdecision，thoughstillalittlediffidently。
Calderwellwassilent。Hehadpickedupthelittlegiltbandhehadtornfromhiscigarandwasfingeringitmusingly。
Yes；I’veseenthem——once，’hesaid，afteraminute。ItookdinnerwiththemwhenIwason，amonthago。’
Iheardyoudid。’
AtsomethinginArkwright’svoice，Calderwellturnedquickly。
Whatdoyoumean？Whydoyousayitlikethat？’
Arkwrightlaughed。Theconstraintfledfromhismanner。
Well，Imayaswelltellyou。You’llhearofit。It’snosecret。Mrs。Henshawherselftellsofiteverywhere。Itwasherfriend，AliceGreggory，whotoldmeofitfirst，however。Itseemsthecookwasgone，andthemistresshadtogetthedinnerherself。’
Yes，Iknowthat。’
ButyoushouldhearMrs。Henshawtellthestorynow，orBertram。Itseemssheknewnothingwhateveraboutcooking，andhertrialsandtribulationsingettingthatdinnerontothetablewereonlyonedegreeworsethanthedinneritself，accordingtoherstory。Didn’tyou——er——noticeanything？’
Noticeanything!’explodedCalderwell。I
noticedthatBillywassobrilliantshefairlyradiatedsparks；andInoticedthatBertramwassoglumhe——healmostradiatedthunderclaps。
ThenIsawthatBilly’shighspiritswereallassumedtocoverathreatenedburstoftears，andIlaiditalltohim。Ithoughthe’dsaidsomethingtohurther；andIcouldhavepunchedhim。GreatScott!Was_that_whatailedthem？’
Ireckonitwas。AlicesaysthatsincethenMrs。Henshawhasfairlyhauntedthekitchen，beggingElizatoteachhereverything，_everysinglething_sheknows!’
Calderwellchuckled。
Ifthatisn’tjustlikeBilly!Sheneverdoesanythingbyhalves。ByGeorge，butshewasgameoverthatdinner!Icanseeitallnow。’
Alicesaysshe’sreallylearningtocook，inspiteofoldPete’shorror，andEliza’spleadingsnottospoilherprettyhands。’
ThenPeteisbackallright？Whatafaithfuloldsoulheis!’
Arkwrightfrownedslightly。
Yes，he’sfaithful，butheisn’tallright，byanymeans。Ithinkhe’sasickman，myself。’
WhatmakesBillylethimwork，then？’
Lethim!’sniffedArkwright。I’dliketoseeyoutrytostophim!Mrs。Henshawbegsandpleadswithhimtostop，buthescoutstheidea。
Peteisthoroughlyandunalterablyconvincedthatthefamilywouldstarvetodeathifitweren’tforhim；andMrs。Henshawsaysthatshe’lladmithehassomegroundsforhisopinionwhenonerememberstheconditionofthekitchenanddining-roomthenightshepresidedoverthem。’
PoorBilly!’chuckledCalderwell。I’dhavegonedownintothekitchenmyselfifI’dsuspectedwhatwasgoingon。’
Arkwrightraisedhiseyebrows。
Perhapsit’swellyoudidn’t——ifBertram’spictureofwhathefoundtherewhenhewentdownisatrueone。Mrs。Henshawacknowledgesthateventhecatsoughtrefugeunderthestove。’
AsiftheveriestwormthatcrawlseverneededtoseekrefugefromBilly!’scoffedCalderwell。
Bytheway，what’sthisAnnexIhearof？Bertrammentionedit，butIcouldn’tgeteitherofthemtotellwhatitwas。Billywouldn’t，andBertramsaidhecouldn’t——notwithBillyshakingherheadathimlikethat。SoIhadmysuspicions。
OneofBilly’spetcharities？’