Heopenedthedooranddasheddownthehighstepsintothefullblastoftheblizzard。Hewaitedatthestreetcornerwhilethreeovercrowdedcarswhizzedpasthim，ignoringhissignalsbecausetherewasnotaninchofspaceleftinthemforanotherpassenger。Thenhefoughthiswayacrosstwoorthreeblockstothenearest“L“station。
Hemanagedtowedgehimselfintoatrainthere，andthenatleasthewasonhisway。Hewasthinkinghardandfast，butthroughallhisplanningthewarmhugofthetartancomforterroundhisneckkeptLittleAnnnearhim。Hehadbeenverythankfulfortheadditionalwarmthasthewhirlingsnowandwindhadwroughttheirwillwithhimwhilehewaitedforthecarsatthestreetcorner。Onthe“L“trainhesawherseriouseyesandheardthemotherlydropinhervoiceasshesaid，“Idohopeyou”llbeabletokeepthepage。Idothat，Mr。
Tembarom。”Itmadehimshuthishandshardastheyhunginhisovercoatpocketsforwarmth，anditmadehimshuthissoundteethstrongly。
“Gee！I”vegotto！“histhoughtssaidforhim。“IfImakeit，perhapsmyluckwillhavestarted。Whenaman”sluckgetsstarted，everydarnedthing”stothegood。”
The“L“haddroppedmostofitscrowdwhenitreachedtheup-townstationamongthehundredthstreetswhichwashisdestination。Hetightenedhiscomforter，tuckedtheendsfirmlyintothefrontofhisovercoat，andstartedoutalongtheplatformpasttheoffice，anddownthesteep，ironsteps，alreadyperilouswithfreezingsnow。Hehadtostoptogethisbreathwhenhereachedthestreet，buthedidnotstoplong。Hechargedforthagainalongthepavement，lookingcloselyattheshop-windows。Therewerenaturallybutfewpassers-by，andtheshopswerenotimportant-looking；buttheywereopen，andhecouldseethattheinsidesofthemlookedcomfortableincontrastwiththeblizzard-ruledstreet。Hecouldnotseebothsidesofthestreetashewalkeduponesideoftheblockwithoutcominguponaconfectioner”s。Hecrossedatthecornerandturnedbackontheotherside。Presentlyhesawthatalightvanwasstandingbeforeoneplace，backedupagainstthesidewalktoreceiveparcels，itsshudderinghorseholdingitsheaddownandbracingitselfwithitsforelegsagainstthewind。Atanyrate，somethingwasgoingonthere，andhehurriedforwardtofindoutwhatitwas。Theairwassothickwithmyriadsofmadlyflyingbitsofsnow，whichseemedwhirledinalldirectionsintheair，thathecouldnotseeanythingdefiniteevenafewyardsaway。Whenhereachedthevanhefoundthathehadalsoreachedhisconfectioner。Thesignoverthewindowread“M。Munsberg，Confectionery。Cakes。Ice-Cream。Weddings，BallsandReceptions。”
“Madeastart，anyhow，“saidTembarom。
Heturnedintothestore，openingthedoorcarefully，andtherebybarelyescapingbeingblownviolentlyagainstastout，excited，middle-agedlittleJewwhowasbendingoveraboxhewaspacking。
ThiswasevidentlyMr。Munsberg，whowasextremelybusy，andeventhemodifiedshockupsethistemper。
“Vhereyougoin”？“hecriedout。“Can”tyoulookvhereyou”regoin”？“
Tembaromknewthiswasnotagoodbeginning，buthisnaturalmentalhabitofvividlyseeingtheotherman”spointofviewhelpedhimafteritsusualcustom。Hisnicegrinshoweditself。
“Iwasn”tgoing；Iwascoming，“hesaid。“Begpardon。Thewind”sblowingahundredmilesanhour。”
Agood-lookingyoungwoman，whowasprobablyMrs。Munsberg，waspackingasmallerboxbehindthecounter。Tembaromliftedhishat，andshelikedit。
“Hedidn”tdoitabitfresh，“shesaidlater。“Kindo”nice。”Shespoketohimwithprofessionalpoliteness。
“Isthereanythingyouwant？“sheasked。
TembaromglancedattheboxesandpackagesstandingaboutandatMunsberg，whohadbentoverhispackingagain。Herewasanoccasionforpracticaltact。
“I”veblowninatthewrongtime，“hesaid。“You”rebusygettingthingsoutontime。I”lljustwait……Gee！I”mgladtobeinside。I
wanttospeaktoMr。Munsberg。”
Mr。Munsbergjerkedhimselfuprightirascibly，andbrokeforthintheaccentoftheNewYorkGermanJew。
“Ifyoucomin”inheretotrytosellsomedings，youngman，joostyouletthatsamevindvatblewyouinblowyourightoutprettyquick。
I”mnotbuyin”nodings。I”mbusy。”
“I”mnotsellingadarnedthing，“answeredTembarom，withundismayedcheer。
“Youvantsomeding？“jerkedoutMunsberg。
“Yes，Iwantsomething，“Tembaromanswered，“butit”snothinganyonehastopayfor。I”monlyanewspaperman。”Hefeltaglowofprideashesaidthewords。Hewasanewspapermanevennow。“Don”tletmestopyouaminute。I”minlucktogetinsideanywhereandsitdown。Letmewait。”
Mrs。MunsbergreadtheSundaypapersandreveredthem。Shealsoknewthevalueofadvertisement。Shecaughtherhusband”seyeandhurriedlywinkedathim。
“It”sawfuloutside。”Twon”tdoharmifhewaits——ifheain”tnoagent，“sheputin。
“See，“saidTembarom，handingoveroneofthecardswhichhadbeenLittleAnn”sbusinesslikeinspiration。
“T。Tembarom。NewYorkSundayEarth，“readMunsberg，rathergrudgingly。HelookedatT。Tembarom，andT。Tembaromlookedbackathim。Thenormalhumanfriendlinessinthesharpboyishfacedidit。
“Vell，“hesaid，makinganotherjerktowardachair，“ifyouain”tnoagent，youcanvait。”
“Thankyou，“saidTembarom，andsatdown。Hehadmadeanotherstart，anyhow。
Afterthisthepackingwentonfastandfurious。Ayouthappearedfromthebackofthestore，andranhereandthereashewasordered。
Munsbergandhiswifefilledwoodenandcardboardboxeswithsmallcakesandlargerones，withsandwichesandsalads，candiesandcrystallizedfruits。Intothelargerboxwasplacedahugecakewithanicingtempleonthetopofit，withsilverdovesadorningitoutsideandin。Therewasnomistakingthepoeticsignificanceofthatcake。Outsidetheblizzardwhirledcloudsofsnow-particlesthroughtheair，andthevanhorsekepthisheaddownandhisforelegsbraced。Hisdriverhadlongsincetriedtocoverhimwithablanketwhichthewindcontinuallytoreloosefromitsfastenings，andflappedaboutthecreature”ssides。Insidethestoregrewhot。
Therewashurriedmovingabout，bangingofdoors，excitedvoices，irascibleordersgivenandcountermanded。Tembaromfoundoutinfiveminutesthattherefreshmentswereforaweddingreceptiontobeheldataplaceknownas“TheHall，“andthegoodsmustbesentoutintimetobereadyforthepreparationsfortheweddingsupperthatnight。
“IfIknewhowtohandleit，Icouldgetstuffforacolumnjustsittinghere，“hethought。Hekeptbotheyesandearsopen。Hewassharpenoughtorealizethatthemeresenseoffamiliaritywithdetailwhichhewasgainingwasmaterialinitself。Onceortwicehegotupandlentahandwithaboxinhiscasualway，andonceortwicehesawthathecouldliftsome-thingdownorupforMrs。
Munsberg，whowasalittlewoman。Thenaturalcasualnessofhiswayofjumpinguptodothethingspreventedanysuspicionofofficiousness，andalsopreventedhiswaitingfigurefrombeginningtoweartheairofasuperfluousobjectintheway。Hewaitedalongtime，andcircumstancessofavoredhimastogivehimachanceorso。
Morethanonceexactlytherightmomentpresenteditselfwhenhecouldinterjectanappositeremark。TwicehemadeMunsberglaugh，andtwiceMrs。Munsbergvoluntarilyaddressedhim。
Atlasttheboxesandparcelswareallcarriedoutandstoredinthevan，afterstrugglingswiththeopeningandshuttingofdoors，andbattlingswithoutsideweather。
Whenthiswasallover，Munsbergcamebackintothestore，knockinghishandstogetherandoutofbreath。
“Dot”sallright，“hesaid。“It”llallbethereplentytime。
Vouldn”thavefelldownonthatorderfortventy-vivedollars。Dottempleonthecakewassplendid。Josephhedoneitfine。”
“Heneverdonenothin”nofiner，“Mrs。Munsbergsaid。“ItlookedasgoodasanythingonFift”Avenoo。”
Bothwererelievedandpleasedwiththemselves，theirstore，andtheircake-decorator。MunsbergspoketoTembarominthemannerofamanwho，havingdoneagoodthing，doesnotmindtalkingaboutit。
“Dotwasabigorder，“heremarked。
“Ishouldsmile，“answeredTembarom。“I”dliketoknowwhosegoingtogetoutsideallthatgoodstuff。Thatwedding-caketookthetartawayfromanythingI”veeverseen。Whichofthefourhundred”sgoingtoeatit？“
“Demanvotordereddotcake，“Munsbergswaggered，“he”snotgottovorryalongonvunmillionnortwo。HeownsdebiggestbreweryinNewYork，IguessinAmerica。He”sSchwartzofSchwartz&Kapfer。”
“Well，he”sgotittoburn！“saidTembarom。
“He”samightygoodman，“wentonMunsberg。“He”smightyfondofhisownpeople。HemadehisfirstmoneyinHarlem，andhehadabigfighttogetit；buthisownpeoplevasgoodtohim，an”he”sneverforgotit。He”sbuiltafinehousehere，an”hisgirlsisfinegirls。Devun”sgoin”tobemarriedto-nighthername”sRachel，an”she”sgoin”
tomarryanicefeller，LouisLevy。Levybuiltthebigentertainment-
hallvherethereception”sgoin”tobe。It”sdecoratedvithtwothousanddollars”worthofbriderosesan”liliesofdevalleyan”
smilax。Alldeup-townplacesvasboughtout，an”denSchwartzventdownFift”Avenoo。”
Therightmomenthadplainlyarrived。
“Say，Mr。Munsberg，“Tembarombrokeforth，“you”regivingmejustwhatIwantedtoaskyoufor。I”mthenewup-townsocietyreporterfortheSundayEarth，andIcameinheretoseeifyouwouldn”thelpmetogetashowatfindingoutwhowasgoingtohaveweddingsandsocietydoings。Ididn”tknowjusthowtostart。”
Munsberggaveasortofgrunt。Helookedlessamiable。
“Is”poseyou”reusedtonothin”butFift”Avenoo，“hesaid。
Tembaromgrinnedexactlyattherighttimeagain。Notonlyhisgoodteethgrinned，buthiseyesgrinnedalso，ifthefiguremaybeused。
“FifthAvenue！“helaughed。“There”sbeennoFifthAvenueinmine。
I”mnotusedtoanything，butyoumaybetyourlifeI”mgoingtogetusedtoHarlem，ifyoupeople”llletme。I”vejustgotthisjob，andI”mdeadstuckonit。Iwanttomakeitgo。”
“He”smightydifferentfromBiker，“saidMrs。Munsberginanundertone。
“Vhere”sdododerfeller？“inquiredMunsberg。“Hevasadamfool，dotoderfeller，halfcornedmostdetime，an”puttin”onClarenceairs。
Noonewasgoin”togivehimnothin”。Hemadefolksmadatdestart。”
“I”vegothisjob，“saidTembarom，“andifIcan”tmakeitgo，thepagewillbegivenup。It”llbemyfaultifthathappens，notHarlem”s。There”ssocietyenoughup-towntomakeafirst-classpage，andIshallbesickifIcan”tgetontoit。”
Hehadbeguntoknowhispeople。Munsbergwasagood-natured，swaggeringlittleHebrew。
Thattheyoungfellowshouldmakeacleanbreastofitandclaimnodown-townsuperiority，andthatheshouldalsohavethebusinessinsighttorealizethathemightobtainvaluablesocietyitemsfromsucharepresentativeconfectionerasM。Munsberg，wasasituationtoinciteamiablesentiments。
“Vell，youdidn”tcometodewrongplace，“hesaid。“Alldebiggestthingscomestome，an”Idon”tmindtellin”youabout”em。”Tain”tgoin”todonoharm。Weddingsan”thingsdeyoughttobewroteup，anyhow，ifdey”redoneright。It”sgoodforbusiness。Vydon”tdeyhavenopicturesofdesupper-tables？Dot”dbegood。”
“There”slotsofreceptionsandweddingsthismonth，“saidMrs。
Munsberg，becomingagreeablyexcited。“Andthere”splentyhandsomeyounggirlsthat”dliketheirpicturespublished。
“NoneofthemhavebeeninSundaypapersbefore，andthey”dlikeit。
ThefourSchwartzgirlswouldmakegrandpictures。Theydresssplendid，andtheirbridesmaidsdressescamefromthebiggestplaceinFift”Avenoo。”
“Say，“exclaimedTembarom，risingfromhischair，“I”minluck。LuckstruckmetheminuteIturnedinhere。Ifyou”lltellmewhereSchwartzlives，andwherethehallis，andthechurch，andjustanythingelseIcanuse，I”llgooutandwhoopupapagetobeattheband。”Hewasglowingwithexultation。“IknowIcandoit。You”vestartedmeoff。”
Munsbergandhiswifebegantowarm。Itwasalmostasthoughtheyhadchargeofthesocietypagethemselves。Therewassomethingstimulatingintheidea。Therewasasuggestionofsocialimportanceinit。TheyknewanumberofpeoplewhowouldbepleasedwiththeprospectofbeingintheSundayEarth。Theywereofaracewhichholdstogether，andtheygavenotonlythenamesandaddressesofprospectiveentertainers，butthoseoffloristsandownersofhallswherepartiesweregiven。
Mrs。Munsberggavethenameofadressmakerofwhomsheshrewdlyguessedthatshewouldbeamiablyreadytotalktoasociety-pagereporter。
“ThatBikerfeller，“shesaid，“gotthingsdownallwrong。Hecalledfinewhitesatin”whitenun”s-veiling”andheleftoutthings。NeversaidnothingaboutMissLewishon”sdiamondringwhathergrandpagaveherforawedding-present。An”itcosttwohundredandfifty。”
“Well，I”maprettybigfoolmyself，“saidTembarom，“butIshouldhaveknownbetterthanthat。”
Whenheopenedthedoortogo，Mrs。Munsbergcalledafterhim：
“Whenyougetthrough，youcomebackhereandtelluswhatyoudone。
I”llgiveyouacupofhotcoffee。”
HereturnedtoMrs。Bowse”sboarding-housesolatethatnightthatevenSteinbergerandBowleshadendedtheirday。Thegasinthehallwasturneddowntoaglimmeringpoint，andthehousewassilentforthenight。Evenacatwhostoletohimandrubbedherselfagainsthislegmiauwedinasortofabortivewhisper，openinghermouthwide，butemittingnosound。Whenhewentcautiouslyupthestaircasehecarriedhisdampovercoatwithhim，andhungitincompanywiththetartanmufflerclosetotheheaterintheupperhall。Thenhelaidonhisbedsidetableapackageofpapersandphotographs。
Afterhehadundressed，hedroppedheavilyintobed，exhausted，butelate。
“I”mdog-tired，“hesaid，“butIguessI”vegotitgoing。”Andalmostbeforethelastwordhaduttereditselfhefellintothedeepsleepofworn-outyouth。
CHAPTERIV
Mrs。Bowse”sboarding-housebegantobeevenbetterpleasedwithhimthanbefore。Hehadstoriestotell，festivitiestodescribe，andcheerfulincidentstorecount。Theboardersassistedvicariouslyatweddingsandweddingreceptions，afternoonteasanddances，giveninhalls。“Up-town“seemedtothemlargelygiventoentertainmentandhilarityofanenviablyprodigalsort。Mrs。Bowse”sguestswerenotoftheclasswhichentertainsorisentertained，andthedetailsofbanquetsandball-dressesandmoney-spendingwerenotuncheeringmaterialforconversation。Suchtopicssuggestedthepresenceanddispensingofagooddealofdesirablespecie，whichinfloatingaboutmightsomehowreachthosewhoneededitmost。TheimpressionwasthatT。Tembaromwashaving“agoodtime。”Itwasnothiswaytorelateanyincidentswhichwerenotofacheeringorlaughter-
inspiringnature。Hesaidnothingofthetimeswhenhisluckwasbad，whenhemadeblunders，and，approachingthewrongpeople，wasmetroughlyorgrudgingly，andfoundnoresourceleftbuttobeataretreat。Hemadenomentionofhisexperiencesintheblizzard，whichcontinued，andattimesnearlybeatbreathandlifeoutofhimashefoughthiswaythroughit。Especiallyhetoldnostoryofthemorningwhen，afterhavinglaboredfuriouslyoverthewritingofhis“stuff“
untillongaftermidnight，hehadtakenittoGalton，andseenhisfacefallashelookedoverit。Tobattlealldaywithablizzardandoccasionalbrutaldiscouragements，andtosituphalfthenighttenselyabsorbedinconcentratingone”swholementalequipmentuponthedoingofunaccustomedworkhasitseffect。Ashewaited，Tembaromunconsciouslyshiftedfromonefoottoanother，andhadactuallytoswallowasortoflumpinhisthroat。
“Iguessitwon”tdo，“hesaidratheruncertainlyasGaltonlaidasheetdown。
Galtonwaswornouthimselfandharriedbyhisnerves。
“No，itwon”t，“hesaid；andthenashesawTembarommovetotheotherfootheadded，“Notasitis。”
Tembarombracedhimselfandclearedhisthroat。
“If，“heventured”well，you”vebeenmightyeasyonme，MrGalton——
andthisisabigchanceforafellowlikeme。Ifit”stoobigachance——why——that”sall。Butifit”sanythingIcouldchangeanditwouldn”tbetoomuchtroubletotellme”
“There”snotimetorewriteit，“answeredGalton。“Itmustbehandedinto-morrow。It”stooflowery。Toomanyadjectives。I”venotimetogiveyou”Hesnatchedupabluepencilandbegantoslashatthepaperwithit。“Lookhere——andhere——cutoutthatbalderdash——cutthis——andthis——oh”throwingthepencildown”you”dhavetocutitallout。There”snotime。”Hefellbackinhischairwithahopelessmovement，andrubbedhisforeheadnervouslywiththebackofhishand。Tenpeoplemoreorlesswerewaitingtospeaktohim；hewaswornoutwiththerushofwork。Hebelievedinthepage，anddidnotwanttogiveuphisidea；buthedidn”tknowamantohandittootherthanthisuntrained，eagerignoramuswhomhehadaqueerpersonallikingfor。Hewasnobusinessofhis，amerestenographerinhisofficewithwhomhecouldbeexpectedtohavenorelations，andyetacurioussortoffriendlinessvergingonintimacyhaddevelopedbetweenthem。
“There”dbetimeifyouthoughtitwouldn”tdoanyharmtogivemeanotherchance，“saidTembarom。“Icansitupallnight。IguessI”vecaughtontowhatyouDON”Twant。I”veputintoomanyfoolwords。I
gotthemoutofotherpapers，butIdon”tknowhowtousethem。I
guessI”vecaughton。Woulditdoanyharmifyougavemetillto-
morrow？“
“No，itwouldn”t，“saidGalton，desperately。“Ifyoucan”tdoit，there”snotimetofindanotherman，andthepagemustbecutout。
It”sbeennogoodsofar。Itwon”tbemissed。Takeitalong。”
Ashepushedbackthepapers，hesawthephotographs，andpickedoneup。
“Thatbride”sagood-lookinggirl。Whoaretheseothers？Bridesmaids？
You”vegotalotofstuffhere。Bikercouldn”tgetanything。”Heglancedupattheyoungfellow”sratherpaleface。“Ithoughtyou”dmakefriends。Howdidyougetallthis？“
“IbeatthestreetstillIfoundit，“saidTembarom。“Ihadluckrightaway。Iwentintoaconfectionerystorewheretheymakewedding-
cakes。Agood-naturedlittleDutchmanandhiswifekeptit，andI
talkedtothem”
“Gotnext？“saidGalton，grinningalittle。
“Theygavemeaddresses，andtoldmeawholelotofthings。IgotintotheSchwartzweddingreception，andtheytreatedmemightywell。
Agoodmanyofthemwerewillingtotalk。Itoldthemwhatabigthingthepagewasgoingtobe，andI——well，Isaidthemoretheyhelpedmethefineritwouldturnout。Isaiditseemedashamethereshouldn”tbeanup-townpagewhensuchswellentertainmentsweregiven。I”vegotalotofstuffthere。”
Galtonlaughed。
“You”dgetit，“hesaid。“Ifyouknewhowtohandleit，you”dmakeitahit。Well，takeitalong。Ifitisn”trighttomorrow，it”sdonefor。”
Tembaromdidn”ttellstoriesorlaughatdinnerthatevening。Hesaidhehadaheadache。AfterdinnerheboltedupstairsafterLittleAnn，andcaughtherbeforeshemountedtoherupperfloor。
“Willyoucomeandsavemylifeagain？“hesaid。“I”minthetightestplaceIeverwasininmylife。”
“I”lldoanythingIcan，Mr。Tembarom，“sheanswered，andashisfacehadgrownflushedbythistimeshelookedanxious。“Youlookdownrightfeverish。”
“I”vegotchillsaswellasfever，“hesaid。“It”sthepage。ItseemslikeIwasgoingtofalldownonit。”
Sheturnedbackatonce。
“Noyouwon”t，Mr。Tembarom，“shesaid“I”mjustright-downsureyouwon”t。”
Theywentdowntotheparloragain，andthoughtherewerepeopleinit，theyfoundacornerapart，andinlessthantenminuteshehadtoldherwhathadhappened。
Shetookthemanuscripthehandedtoher。
“IfIwaswelleducated，Ishouldknowhowtohelpyou，“shesaid，“butI”veonlybeentoacommonManchesterschool。Idon”tknowanythingaboutelegantlanguage。Whatarethese？“pointingtotheblue-pencilmarks。
Tembaromexplained，andshestudiedtheblueslasheswithseriousattention。
“Well，“shesaidinafewminutes，layingthemanuscriptdown，“I
shouldhavecutthosewordsoutmyselfif——ifyou”daskedmewhichtotakeaway。They”retooshowy，Mr。Tembarom。”
Tembaromwhippedapenciloutofhispocketandhelditout。
“Say，“heputittoher，“wouldyoutakethisanddrawitthroughafewoftheothershowyones？“
“IshouldfeelasifIwastakingtoomuchuponmyself，“shesaid。“I
don”tknowanythingaboutit。”
“YouknowadarnedsightmorethanIdo，“Tembaromargued。“Ididn”tknowtheywereshowy。Ithoughttheywerethekindyouhadtoputinnewspaperstuff。”
Sheheldthesheetsofpaperonherknee，andbentherheadoverthem。
Tembaromwatchedherdimplesflashinandoutassheworkedawaylikeachildcorrectinganexercise。Presentlyhesawshewasquiteabsorbed。Sometimesshestoppedandthought，pressingherlipstogether；sometimesshechangedaletter。Therewasnolightnessinhermanner。Abadlymutilatedstockingwouldhaveclaimedherattentioninthesameway。
“IthinkI”dput”house”thereinsteadof”mansion”ifIwereyou，“
shesuggestedonce。
“Putinawholeblockofhousesifyoulike，“heansweredgratefully。
“Whateveryousaygoes。IbelieveGaltonwouldsaythesamething。”
Shewentoversheetaftersheet，andthoughsheknewnothingaboutit，shecutoutjustwhatGaltonwouldhavecutout。SheputthepaperstogetheratlastandgavethembacktoTembarom，gettingupfromherseat。
“Imustgobacktofathernow，“shesaid。“Ipromisedtomakehimagoodcupofcoffeeoverthelittleoil-stove。Ifyou”llcomeandknockatthedoorI”llgiveyouone。Itwillhelpyoutokeepfreshwhileyouwork。”
Tembaromdidnotgotobedatallthatnight，andhelookedratherfaggedthenextmorningwhenhehandedbackthe“stuff“entirelyrewritten。Heswallowedseveraltimesquitehardashewaitedforthefinalverdict。
“YoudidcatchontowhatIdidn”twant，“Galtonsaidatlast。“Youwillcatchonstillmoreasyougetusedtothework。Andyoudidgetthe”stuff”“
“That——youmean——thatgoes？“Tembaromstammered。
“Yes，itgoes，“answeredGalton。“Youcanturnitin。We”lltrythepageforamonth。”
“Gee！ThanktheLord！“saidTembarom，andthenhelaughedanexcitedboyishlaugh，andthebloodcamebacktohisface。Hehadawholemonthbeforehim，andifhehadcaughtonassoonasthis，amonthwouldteachhimalot。
He”dworklikeadog。
Heworkedlikeahealthyyoungmanimpelledbyahugeenthusiasm，andseeingaheadofhimsomethinghehadhadnopracticalreasonforaspiringto。Hewentoutinallweathersandstayedouttoallhours。
Whatsoeverrebuffsordifficultieshemetwithheneverwasevenonthevergeoflosinghisnerve。Heactuallyenjoyedhimselftremendouslyattimes。Hemadefriends；peoplebegantoliketoseehim。TheMunsbergsregardedhimasaninspirationoftheirown。
“Heseenmynameoverdestoreandcomeinherefirsttimehevassentupdisvaytolookfort”ingstowrite，“Mr。Munsbergalwaysexplained。“Vevasawfulbusy——timeoftheSchwartzvedding，an”derevasdatblizzard。Heowneduphevasnew，an”vantedsomevunvhatknewtotellhimvhatvasgoin”on。”CourseIcoulddoit。Mean”myvifegivehimaddressesan”alotofitems。Hevorked”emupgood。
Dotup-townpageisgettin”first-rate。Hesayshedon”knowvhathe”dhavedoneifhehadn”tturnedupheredotday。”
Tembarom，having“caughton“tohisfaultofstyle，appliedhimselfwithvigortoelimination。Hekepthistamedictionarychainedtothelegofhistable——anoldkitchentablewhichMrs。Bowsescrubbedandputintohishallbedroom，overcrowdingitgreatly。HeturnedtoLittleAnnatmomentsofdesperateuncertainty，buthewasmanenoughtodohisworkhimself。IngloriousmomentswhenhewasrathersurethatGaltonwasfarfromunsatisfiedwithhisprogress，andAnnhadlookedmorethanusuallydistractinginheraloofandsoberalluringness，——itwasherentirealoofnesswhichsostirredhisblood，——hesometimesstoppedscribblingandlosthisheadforaminuteorso，wonderingifafelloweverCOULD“getawaywithit“totheextentofmakingenoughto——buthealwayspulledhimselfupintime。
“NicefoolIlook，thinkingthatway！“hewouldsaytohimself。
“She”dthrowmedownhardifsheknew。But，myLord！ain”tshejustapeach！“
ItwasinthelastweekofthemonthoftrialwhichwastodecidethepermanencyofthepagethathecameuponthemanMrs。Bowse”sboarderscalledhis“Freak。”Henevercalledhima“freak“himselfevenatthefirst。Evenhissomewhatundevelopedmindfeltitselfconfrontedattheoutsetwithsomethingtooabnormalandserious，somethingwithasuggestionoftheweirdandtragicinit。
Inthiswiseitcameabout：
Theweekhadbegunwithanotherblizzard，whichaftertheseconddayhadsuddenlychangeditsmind，andturnedintosleetandrainwhichfilledthestreetswithmeltedsnow，andmadewalkingafearsomething。Tembaromhadplentyofwalkingtodo。Thisweek”spagewashisgreateffort，andwastobea“dandy。”Galtonmustbeshownwhatpertinacitycoulddo。
“I”mgoingtogetintoituptomyneck，andthenstrikeout，“hesaidatbreakfastonMondaymorning。
Thursdaywashismoststrenuousday。Theweatherhaddecidedtochangeagain，andgustsofsleetwerebeingdrivenabout，whichaddedcoldtosloppiness。Hehadfounditdifficulttogetholdofsomedetailshespeciallywanted。Twoimportantandextremelygood-lookingbrideshadrefusedtoseehimbecauseBikerhadenragedtheminhisday。Hehadslightedthedescriptionoftheirdressesatadancewheretheyhadbeentheobservedofallobservers，andhadwornthingsbroughtfromParis。Tembaromhadgonefromhousetohouse。Hehadevensearchedoutauntswhosefavorhehadwonprofessionally。Hehadappealedtohisdressmaker，whoseaffectionhehadbythattimefullygained。Shewasdoingworkinthebrides”houses，andcouldmakeitclearthathewouldnotcallpeaudecygne“Surahsilk，“norduchesslace“BabyIrish。”Buttheyoungladiesenjoyedbeingbesoughtbyasocietypage。Itwassomethingtodiscusswithone”sbridesmaidsandfriends，toprotestthat“thoseinterviewers“giveapersonnopeace。“Ifyoudon”twanttobeinthepapers，they”llputyouinwhetheryoulikeitornot，howeveroftenyourefusethem。”
TheykeptTembaromrunningabout，theyraisedfainthopes，andthenwentoutwhenhecalled，leavingnomessages，butallowingtheservanttohintthatifhewentuptoTwoHundredandSeventy-fifthStreethemightchancetofindthem。
“Allright，“saidTembaromtothegirl，delightingherbyliftinghishatgeniallyasheturnedtogodownthesteps。“I”lljustkeepgoing。
TheSundayEarthcan”tcomeoutwithoutthosephotographsinit。I
shouldlosemyjob。”
WhenatlastheranthebridestocoveritwasnotatTwoHundredandSeventy-fifthStreet，butintheirownhome，towhichtheyhadfinallyreturned。Theyhadheardfromtheservant-girlaboutwhattheyounggentlemanfromtheSundayEarthhadsaid，andtheyweremollifiedbyhisproperappreciationofvalues。Tembarom”sdressmakerfriendalsoprofferedinformation。
“Iknowhimmyself，“shesaid，“andhe”sarealnicegentle-manlikeyoungman。He”snotabitlikeBiker。Hedoesn”tthinkheknowseverything。HecametomefromMrs。Munsberg，justtoaskmethenamesoffashionablematerials。Hesaiditwasmoreimportantthanamanknewtillhefoundout“MissStuntzchuckled。
“Heaskedmetolendhimsomebitsofsamplessohecouldlearnthemoffbyheart，andknowthemwhenhesawthem。He”sgotapleasantlaugh；showshisteeth，andthey”rerealprettyandwhite；andhejustlaughedlikeaboyandsaid：”Thesesamplesaremyalphabet，MissStuntz。I”mgoingtolearntoreadwordsofthreesyllablesinthem。”“
WhenlateintheeveningTembarom，beingletoutofthehouseafterhisinterview，turneddownthestepsagain，hecarriedwithhimallhehadwanted——informationandphotographs，evenaddedpicturesquedetails。Hewaspreparedtohandinafullerandbetterpagethanhehadeverhandedinbefore。Hewasinaselatedaframeofmindasayoungmancanbewhenheisusedupwithtrampingthestreets，andrunningafterstreet-cars，tostandupinthemandhangbyastrap。
Hehadbeenwearinganewpairofboots，oneofwhichrubbedhisheelandhadendedbyraisingablisterworthyofattention。Toreachthenearest“L“stationhemustwalkacrosstown，throughseveraldesertedstreetsinthefirststagesofbeingbuiltup，theirvacantlotssurroundedbyhighboardfencingcoveredwithhugeadvertisingposters。Thehallbedroom，withthegasturnedupandthecheap，red-
cottoncomfortonthebed，madeanalluringpictureashefacedthesleetywind。
“IfIcutacrosstotheavenueandcatchthe”L”I”mboundtogettheresometime，anyhow，“hesaidashebracedhimselfandsetoutonhisway。
Theblisteronhisheelhadgivenhimagooddealoftrouble，andhewasobligedtostopamomenttoeaseit，andhelimpedwhenhebegantowalkagain。Buthelimpedasfastashecould，whilethesleetyrainbeatinhisface，acrossonestreet，downanotherforablockorso，acrossanother，themeltingsnowsoakingeventhenewbootsashesplashedthroughit。Hebenthishead，however，andlimpedsteadily。
Atthisendofthecitymanyofthestreetswereonlyscantilybuiltup，andhewaspassingthroughoneatthecornerofwhichwasabigvacantlot。Attheothercornerarowofcheaphouseswhichhadonlyreachedtheirsecondstorywaitedamongpilesofbricksandfrozenmortarforthereturnoftheworkmentheblizzardhaddispersed。Itwasadesolate-enoughthoroughfare，andnotasoulwasinsight。Thevacantlotwasfencedinwithhighboardingplasteredoverwithflaringsheetsadvertisingwhiskies，sauces，andtheatricalventures。
Ahugepictureofadramaticallyinterruptedweddingceremonydoneinredsandyellows，andannouncinginlargelettersthatMr。IsaacSimonsonpresentedMissEvangelineSt。Clairin“RentAsunder，“
occupiedseveralyardsoftheboarding。Ashereachedit，theheelofTembarom”sbootpressed，asitseemedtohim，ared-hotcoalontheflesh。Hehadrubbedofftheblister。Hewasobligedtostopamomentagain。
“Geewhizz！“heexclaimedthroughhisteeth，“Ishallhavetotakemybootoffandtrytofixit。”
ToaccomplishthisheleanedagainsttheboardingandMissEvangelineSt。Clairbeing“RentAsunder“inthemidstoftheweddingservice。
Hecautiouslyremovedhisboot，andfindingaholeinhissockintheplacewheretheblisterhadrubbedoff，hemanagedtoprotecttherawspotbypullingthesockoverit。Thenhedrewonhisbootagain。
“That”llbebetter，“hesaid，withalongbreath。
Ashestoodonhisfeetagainhestartedinvoluntarily。Thiswasnotbecausetheblisterhadhurthim，butbecausehehadheardbehindhimastartlingsound。
“What”sthat？“brokefromhim。“What”sthat？“
Heturnedandlistened，feelinghisheartgiveaquickthump。Inthedarknessoftheutterlyemptystreetthethingwasunnaturalenoughtomakeanymanjump。Hehadhearditbetweentwogustsofwind，andthroughanotherhehearditagain-anuncanny，awfulsobbing，brokenbyahopelesswailofwords。
“Ican”tremember！Ican”t-remember！0myGod！“
Anditwasnotawoman”svoiceorachild”s；itwasaman”s，andtherewasaneeriesortofmiseryinitwhichmadeTembaromfeelrathersick。Hehadneverheardamansobbingbefore。Hebelongedtoaclasswhichhadnotimeforsobs。Thissoundedghastly。
“GoodLord！“hesaid，“thefellow”scrying！Aman！“
Thesoundcamedirectlybehindhim。Therewasnotahumanbeinginsight。Evenpolicemendonotloiterinemptystreets。
“Hello！“hecried。“Whereareyou？“
Butthelow，horriblesoundwenton，andnoanswercame。Hisphysicalsenseofthepresenceoftheblisterwasblottedoutbytheabnormalthrillofthemoment。Onehadtofindoutaboutathinglikethat-
onejusthadto。Onecouldnotgoonandleaveitbehinduninvestigatedinthedarkandemptinessofastreetnoonewaslikelytopassthrough。Helistenedmoreintently。Yes，itwasjustbehindhim。
“He”sinthelotbehindthefence，“hesaid。“Howdidhegetthere？“
Hebegantowalkalongtheboardingtofindagap。Afewyardsfartheronhecameuponabrokenplaceintheinclosure-aplacewhereboardshadsaggeduntiltheyfelldown，orhadperhapsbeenpulleddownbyboyswhowantedtogetinside。Hewentthroughit，andfoundliewasintheusualvacantlotlonggivenuptorubbish。Whenhestoodstillamomentheheardthesobbingagain，andfollowedthesoundtotheplacebehindtheboardingagainstwhichhehadsupportedhimselfwhenhetookoffhisboot。
Amanwaslyingonthegroundwithhisarmsflungout。Thestreetlampoutsidetheboardingcastlightenoughtorevealhim。Tembaromfeltasthoughhehadsuddenlyfoundhimselftakingpartinamelodrama，-“TheStreetsofNewYork，“forchoice，-thoughnomelodramahadevergivenhimthisslightlyshakyfeeling。Butwhenafellowlookedupagainstitashardasthis，whatyouhadtodowastoholdyournerveandmakehimfeelhewasgoingtobehelped。Thenormalhumanthingspokeloudinhim。
“Hello，oldman！“hesaidwithcheerfulawkwardness。“What”shityou？“
Themanstartedandscrambledtohisfeetasthoughhewerefrightened。Hewaswet，unshaven，whiteandshuddering，piteoustolookat。Hestaredwithwildeyes，hischestheaving。
“What”sup？“saidTembarom。
Theman”sbreathcaughtitself。
“Idon”tremember。”Therewasatouchofhorrorinhisvoice，thoughhewasevidentlymakinganefforttocontrolhim-self。“Ican”t-I
can”tremember。”“What”syourname？Yourememberthat？“Tembaromputittohim。
“N-n-no！“agonizingly。“IfIcould！IfIcould！“
“Howdidyougetinhere？“
“IcameinbecauseIsawapoliceman。Hewouldn”tunderstand。Hewouldhavestoppedme。Imustnotbestopped。IMUSTnot。”
“Wherewereyougoing？“askedTembarom，notknowingwhatelsetosay。
“Home！MyGod！man，home！“andhefelltoshudderingagain。Heputhisarmagainsttheboardinganddroppedhisheadagainstit。Thelow，hideoussobbingtorehimagain。
T。Tembaromcouldnotstandit。Inhisnewsboydayshehadneverbeenabletostandstarveddogsandhomelesscats。Mrs。Bowsewastakingcareofawretcheddogforhimatthepresentmoment。Hehadnotwantedthepoorbrute，——hewasnotparticularlyfondofdogs，——butithadfollowedhimhome，andafterhehadgivenitaboneorso，ithadlickeditschopsandturnedupitseyesathimwithsuchabjectappealthathehadnotbeenabletoturnitintothestreetsagain。
Hewasunsentimental，butruledbyprimitiveemotions。Alsohehadasuddenrecollectionofanightwhenasalittlefellowhehadgoneintoavacantlotandcriedaslikethisasachildcould。Itwasabadnightwhensome“tough“bigboyshadturnedhimoutofawarmcornerinashed，andhehadhadnowheretogo，andbeingafriendlylittlefellow，theunfriendlinesshadhithimhard。Theboyshadnotseenhimcrying，butherememberedit。Hedrewnear，andputhishandontheshakingshoulder。
“Say，don”tdothat，“hesaid。“I”llhelpyoutoremember。”
Hescarcelyknewwhyhesaidit。Therewassomethinginthesituationandinthemanhimselfwhichwascompelling。Hewasnotofthetramporder。Hiswetclotheshadbeendecent，andhisbroken，terrifiedvoicewasneithercoarsenornasal。HeliftedhisheadandcaughtTembarom”sarm，clutchingitwithdesperatefingers。
“Couldyou？“hepouredforththewords。“Couldyou？I”mnotquitemad。
Somethinghappened。IfIcouldbequiet！Don”tletthemstopme！MyGod！myGod！myGod！Ican”tsayit。It”snotfaraway，butitwon”tcomeback。You”reagoodfellow；ifyou”rehuman，helpme！helpme！
helpme！“HeclungtoTembaromwithhandswhichshook；hiseyesweremoreabjectthanthestarveddog”s；hechoked，andawfultearsrolleddownhischeeks。“Onlyhelpme，“hecried”justhelp，help，help——
forawhile。Perhapsnotlong。Itwouldcomeback。”Hemadeahorribleeffort。“Listen！Myname——Iam——Iam——it”s”
Hewasdownonthegroundagain，groveling。Hiseffortshadfailed。
Tembarom，overwroughthimself，caughtathimanddraggedhimup。
“Makeafight，“hesaid。“Youcan”tliedownlikethat。You”vegottoputupafight。It”llcomeback。Itellyouitwill。You”vehadaclipontheheadorsomething。Letmecallanambulanceandtakeyoutothehospital。”
Thenextmomenthewassorryhehadsaidthewords，theman”sterrorwassoilltobehold。Hegrewlividwithit，andutteredalowanimalcry。
“Don”tdropdeadoverit，“saidTembarom，ratherlosinghishead。“I
won”tdoit，thoughwhatinthunderI”mgoingtodowithyouIdon”tknow。Youcan”tstayhere。”
“ForGod”ssake！“saidtheman。“ForGod”ssake！“HeputhisshakinghandonTembaromagain，andlookedathimwithabewilderedscrutiny。
“I”mnotafraidofyou，“hesaid；“Idon”tknowwhy。There”ssomethingallrightaboutyou。Ifyou”llstandbyme——you”dstandbyaman，I”dswear。Takemesomewherequiet。Letmegetwarmandthink。”
“Thelessyouthinknowthebetter，“answeredTembarom。“Youwantabedandabathandanight”srest。IguessI”veletmyselfinforit。
Youbrushoffandbraceyourselfandcomewithme。”
Therewasthehallbedroomandthered-cottoncomfortforonenightatleast，andMrs。Bowsewasasoft-heartedwoman。Ifshe”dheardthefellowsobbingbehindthefence，she”dhavebeeninaworsefixthanhewas。Womenwerekinder-heartedthanmen，anyhow。Thewaythefellow”svoicesoundedwhenhesaid，“Helpme，helpme，helpme！“
soundedasthoughhewasinhell。“MademefeelasifIwasbracingupachapthatwasgoingtobeelectrocuted，“hethought，feelingsickishagain。“I”venotgotbackboneenoughtofacethatsortofthing。Gottotakehimsomewhere。”
Theywerewalkingtowardthe“L“together，andhewaswonderingwhatheshouldsaytoMrs。Bowsewhenhesawhiscompanionfumblingunderhiscoatatthebackasthoughhewasinsearchofsomething。Hishandsbeingunsteady，ittookhimsomemomentstogetatwhathewanted。Heevidentlyhadabeltorahiddenpocket。HegotsomethingoutandstoppedunderastreetlighttoshowittoTembarom。Hishandsstillshookwhenheheldthemout，andhislookwasacurious，puzzled，questioningone。WhathepassedovertoTembaromwasarollofmoney。Tembaromratherlosthisbreathashesawthenumberontwofive-hundred-dollarbills，andofseveralhundreds，besidestwenties，tens，andfives。
“Takeit——keepit，“hesaid。“Itwillpay。”
“Hullygee！“criedTembarom，aghast。“Don”tgogivingawayyourwholepiletothefirstfellowyoumeet。Idon”twantit。”
“Takeit。”Thestrangerputhishandonhisshoulder，theabjectlookinhiseyesharrowinglylikethestarveddog”sagain。
“There”ssomethingallrightaboutyou。You”llhelpme。”
“IfIdon”ttakeitforyou，someonewillknockyouupontheheadforit。”Tembaromhesitated，butthenextinstanthestuffeditallinhispocket，incitedtheretobythesoundofawhizzingroar。
“There”sthe”L”coming，“hecried；“runforallyou”reworth。”Andtheyfledupthestreetandupthesteps，andcaughtitwithoutasecondtospare。
CHAPTERV
AtaboutthetimeTembarommadehisrushtocatchthe“L“JosephHutchinsonwaspassingthroughoneofhisperiodicalfitsofinfuriateddiscouragement。LittleAnnknewtheywouldoccureverytwoorthreedays，andshedidnotwonderatthem。Alsosheknewthatifshemerelysatstillandlistenedasshesewed，shewouldbedoingexactlywhathermotherwouldhavedoneandwhatherfatherwouldfindasortofirritatedcomfortin。Therewasnouseincitingpeople”svillainiesandcallingthemnamesunlessyouhadanaudiencewhowouldseemtoagreetothejusticeofyouraccusations。
SoMr。Hutchinsonchargedupanddowntheroom，hisfacered，andhishandsthrustinhiscoatpockets。HewasgivinghisopinionsofAmericaandAmericans，andhespokewithhisbroadestManchesteraccent，andthrewinnowandthenawordorsoofLancashiredialecttoaddroughnessandstrength，theangrieraManchestermanbeing，thebroaderandthereforethemoreforciblehisaccent。“Tha“issomehowagreatdealmorebitterorhumorousoraffectionatethanthemereordinary“You“or“Yours。”
“”Merica，“hebellowed-“dang”Merica！Isays-an”dang”Mericans。
Goin”aboutth”worldbraggin”an”boastin”abouttheirsharpnessan”
theiropen-”andedness。”Goto”Merica”folks”lltellyou，”withaninvention，andthere”sdozensofmillionairesreadytoputmoneyinit。”Fools！“
“Now，Father，“-LittleAnn”svoicewasasmaternalashermother”shadbeen，-“now，Father，love，don”tworkyourselfupintoapassion。
Youknowit”snotgoodforyou。”“Idon”tneedtoworkmyselfupintoone。I”minone。Amansellseverythingheownstogetto”Merica，an”
whenhegetstherewhatdoeshefind？Hecanna”getnearamillionaire。He”spushedhereanscuffledthere，an”toldthischapcan”tseehim，an”thatchapisn”tinterested，an”hemustwaithischancetocatchthisone。An”hewaitsan”waits，an”goesupinelevatorsan”standsononeleginlobbies，tillhe”sbroke”downan”
sickofit，an”hastogohometoEnglandsteerage。”
LittleAnnlookedupfromhersewing。Hehadbeenwalkingfuriouslyforhalfanhour，andhadbeentiredtobeginwith。Shehadheardhisvoicebreakroughlyashesaidthelastwords。Hethrewhimselfastrideachairand，crossinghisarmsonthebackofit，droppedhisheadonthem。Hermotherneverallowedthis。Herideawasthatwomenweremadetotideoversuchmomentsfortheweakersex。FarhaditbeenfromthemindofMrs。Hutchinsontocallitweaker。“Butthere”stimes，Ann，whenjustforabitthey”rejustlikechildren。Theyneedcomfortingwithoutbeinglettoknowtheyarebeingcomforted。Youknowhowitiswhenyourbackaches，andsomeonejustslipsapillowunderitintherightplacewithoutsayinganything。That”swhatwomencandoifthey”vegotheads。Itneedsahead。”
LittleAnngotupandwenttothechair。Shebegantorunherfingerscaressinglythroughthethick，grizzledhair。
“There，Father，love，there！“shesaid。“WearegoingbacktoEngland，atanyrate，aren”twe？Andgrandmotherwillbesogladtohaveuswithherinhercottage。AndAmerica”sonlyoneplace。”
“Itrieditfirst，dangit！“jerkedoutHutchinson。“Everyonetoldmetodoit。”Hequotedagainwithderisivescorn：“”Yougoto”Merica。”Merica”stheplaceforachaplikeyou。”Merica”stheplaceforinventions。”Liars！“
LittleAnnwentonrubbingthegrizzledheadlovingly。
“Well，nowwe”regoingbacktotryEngland。YouneverdidreallytryEngland。Andyouknowhowbeautifulit”llbeinthecountry，withtheprimrosesinbloomandtheyounglambsinthefields。”Thecaressinghandgrewevensofter。“Andyou”renotgoingtoforgethowmotherbelievedintheinvention；youcan”tdothat。”
Hutchinsonliftedhisheadandlookedather。
“Eh，Ann，“hesaid，“youareacomfortablelittlebody。You”vegotawaywithyoujustlikeyourpoormotherhad。Youalwayssaytherightthingtohelpachappullhimselftogether。Yourmotherdidbelieveinit，didn”tshe？“
Shehad，indeed，believedinit，thoughherfaithwasfoundedmoreuponconfidencein“Mr。Hutchinson“thaninanyprofoundknowledgeofthemechanicalappliancehisinspirationwouldsupply。Sheknewithadsomethingimportanttodowithlocomotiveengines，andsheknewthatifrailroadmagnateswouldcondescendtoconsiderit，herhusbandwassurethatfortunewouldflowin。Shehadlivedwiththe“invention，“
asitwasrespectfullycalled，foryears。
“Thatshedid，“answeredLittleAnn。“Andbeforeshediedshesaidtome：”LittleAnn”shesaid，”there”sonethingyoumustneverletyourfatherdo。Youmustneverlethimbeginnottobelieveinhisinvention。Yourfather”sacleverman，andit”sacleverinvention，andit”llmakehisfortuneyet。YoumustremindhimhowIbelievedinitandhowsureIwas。”“
Hutchinsonrubbedhishandsthoughtfully。Hehadheardthisbefore，butitdidhimgoodtohearitagain。
“Shesaidthat，didshe？“hefoundvaguecomfortinsaying。“Shesaidthat？“
“Yes，shedid，Father。Itwastheverydaybeforeshedied。”
“Well，sheneversaidanythingshehadn”tthoughtout，“hesaidinslowretrospection。“Andshehadagoodheadofherown。Eh，shewasawonderfulwoman，shewas，forstickingtothings。Thatwasth”
Lancashireinher。Lancashirefolksknowstheirownminds。”
“Motherknewhers，“saidAnn。“Andshealwayssaidyouknewyours。
Comeandsitinyourownchair，Father，andhaveyourpaper。”
Shehadtidedhimpasttheworstcurrentswithoutlettinghimslipintothem。
“Ilikefolksthatknowstheirownminds，“hesaidashesatdownandtookhispaperfromher。“Youknowyours，Ann；andthere”sthatTembaromchap。Heknowshis。I”vebeennoticingthatchap。”Therewasacertainpleasureinusingatoneofamiablepatronage。“He”sgotawaywithhimthat”sworthmoneytohiminbusiness，ifheonlyknewit。”
“Idon”tthinkheknowshe”sgotaway，“LittleAnnsaid。“Hiswayisjusthim。”
“Hejustgetsoverpeoplewithit，likehegotoverme。Iwasreadytoknockhisheadofffirsttimehespoketome。Iwasreadytoknockanybody”sheadoffthatday。I”djusthadthatletterfromHadman。Hemademesickwi”thewayhepotteredan”playedthefoolabouttheinvention。Hebelievedinitrightenough，buthehadn”tthecourageofamouse。Hewasn”tgoin”tobethefirstonetoriskhismoney。
Him，withallhehas！He”stheverychaptobeabletosetitgoin”。
IfIcouldhavegotsomeoneelsetoputupbrass，it”dhavestartedhim。It”swanto”backbone，that”sthematterwi”Hadmanan”hislot。”
“Someofthesedayssomeofthem”regoingtogettheireyesopen，“
saidLittleAnn，“andthentheotherswillbesorry。Mr。Tembaromsaysthey”llfalloverthemselvestogetinonthegroundfloor。”
Hutchinsonchuckled。
“That”sNewYork，“hesaid。“He”sarumchap。Buthethinksagoodbitoftheinvention。I”vetalkeditoverwithhim，becauseI”vewantedtotalk，andtheonethingI”venoticedaboutTembaromisthathecankeephismouthshut。”
“Buthetalksagooddeal，“saidAnn。
“That”sthebestofit。You”dthinkhewastellingallheknows，andhe”snotbyafatlot。Hetellsyouwhatyou”llliketohear，andhe”snotsly；buthecankeepashutmouth。That”sLancashire。Somefolkscan”tdoitevenwhentheywantto。”
“HisfathercamefromEngland。”
“That”swherethelad”ssensecomesfrom。Perhapshe”sLancashire。HehadalotofgoodideasaboutthewaytogetatHadman。”
Aknockatthedoorbrokeinuponthem。Mrs。Bowsepresentedherself，wearinganovelexpressiononherface。Itwasatoncepuzzledandnotaltogetherdisagreeablyexcited。
“Iwishyouwouldcomedownintothedining-room，LittleAnn。”Shehesitated。“Mr。Tembaron”sbroughthomesuchaqueerman。Hepickedhimupillinthestreet。Hewantsmetolethimstaywithhimforthenight，anyhow。Idon”tthinkhe”scrazy，butIguesshe”slosthismemory。QueerestthingIeversaw。Hedoesn”tknowhisnameoranything。”
“Seehere，“brokeoutHutchinson，droppinghishandsandhispaperonhisknee，“I”mnotgoingtohaveAnngoin”downstairstoquietlunatics。”
“He”sasquietasachild，“Mrs。Bowseprotested。“There”ssomethingpitifulabouthim，heseemssofrightened。He”sdrenchedtotheskin。”
“Callanambulanceandsendhimtothehospital，“advisedHutchinson。
“That”swhatMr。Tembaromsayshecan”tdo。Itfrightenshimtodeathtospeakofit。HejustclingstoMr。Tembaromsortofawful，asifhethinkshe”llsavehislife。Butthatisn”tall，“sheaddedinanamazedtone；“he”sgivenMr。Tembarommorethantwothousanddollars。”
“What！“shoutedHutchinson，boundingtohisfeetquiteunconsciously。
“What！“exclaimedLittleAnn。
“Justyoucomeandlookatit，“answeredMrs。Bowse，noddingherhead。
“There”sovertwothousanddollarsinbillsspreadoutonthetableinthedining-roomthisminute。Hehaditinabeltpocket，andhedraggeditoutinthestreetandwouldmakeMr。Tembaromtakeit。Docomeandtelluswhattodo。”
“I”dgethimtotakeoffhiswetclothesandgetintobed，anddrinksomehotspiritsandwaterfirst，“saidLittleAnn。“Wouldn”tyou，Mrs。Bowse？“
Hutchinsongotup，newspaperinhand。
“Isay，I”dliketogodownandhavealookatthatchapmyself，“heannounced。
“Ifhe”ssofrightened，perhaps”LittleAnnhesitated。
“That”sit，“putinMrs。Bowse。“He”ssonervousit”dmakehimworsetoseeanotherman。You”dbetterwait，Mr。Hutchinson。”
Hutchinsonsatdownrathergrumpily，andMrs。BowseandLittleAnnwentdownthestairstogether。
“Ifeelrealnervousmyself，“saidMrs。Bowse，“it”ssoqueer。Buthe”snotcrazy。He”squietenough。”
AstheynearedthebottomofthestaircaseLittleAnncouldseeoverthebalustradeintothedining-room。Thestrangemanwassittingbythetable，hisdisordered，black-hairedheadonhisarm。Helookedlikeanexhaustedthing。Tembaromwassittingbyhim，andwastalkinginanencouragingvoice。Hehadlaidahandononeofthestranger”s。
Onthetablebesidethemwasspreadanumberofbillswhichhadevidentlyjustbeencounted。
“Here”stheladies，“saidTembarom。
Thestrangerliftedhisheadand，havinglooked，roseandstoodupright，waiting。Itwastheinvoluntary，mechanicalactionofamanwhohadbeentrainedamonggentlemen。
“It”sMrs。Bowseagain，andshe”sbroughtMissHutchinsondownwithher。MissHutchinsonalwaysknowswhattodo，“explainedTembarominhisfriendlyvoice。
Themanbowed，andhisbewilderedeyesfixedthemselvesonLittleAnn。
“Thankyou，“hesaid。“It”sverykindofyou。I——Iam——ingreattrouble。”
LittleAnnwenttohimandsmiledhermotherlysmileathim。
“You”reverywet，“shesaid。“You”lltakeabadcoldifyou”renotcareful。Mrs。Bowsethinksyououghttogorighttobedandhavesomethinghottodrink。”
“ItseemsalongtimesinceIwasinbed，“heansweredher。
“I”mverytired。Thankyou。”Hedrewaweary，sighingbreath，buthedidn”tmovehiseyesfromthegirl”sface。Perhapsthecessationofactionincertaincellsofhisbrainhadincreasedactioninothers。
HelookedasthoughhewereseeingsomethinginLittleAnn”sfacewhichmightnothaverevealeditselfsoclearlytothemorenormalgaze。
Hemovedslightlynearertoher。Hewasatallman，andhadtolookdownather。
“Whatisyourname？“heaskedanxiously。“Namestroubleme。”
ItwasAnnwhodrewalittlenearertohimnow。Shehadtolookup，andthesoft，absorbedkindnessinhereyesmight，Tembaromthought，havesoothedaraginglion，itwassointentonitspurpose。
“MynameisAnnHutchinson；butneveryoumindaboutitnow，“shesaid。“I”lltellittoyouagain。LetMr。Tembaromtakeyouup-stairstobed。You”llbebetterinthemorning。”Andbecausehisholloweyesrestedonhersofixedlysheputherhandonhiswetsleeve。
“You”rewetthrough，“shesaid。“Thatwon”tdo。”
Helookeddownatherhandandthenatherfaceagain。
“Helpme，“hepleaded，“justhelpme。Idon”tknowwhat”shappened。
HaveIgonemad？“
“No，“sheanswered；“notabit。It”llallcomerightafterawhile；
you”llsee。”
“Willit，willit？“hebegged，andthensuddenlyhiseyeswerefulloftears。Itwasastrangethingtoseehiminhisbewilderedmiserytrytopullhimselftogether，andbitehisshakinglipsasthoughhevaguelyrememberedthathewasaman。“Ibegpardon，“hefaltered：“I
supposeI”mill。”
“Idon”tknowwheretoputhim，“Mrs。Bowsewassayinghalfaside；
“I”venotgotaroomempty。”
“Puthiminmybedandgivemeashake-downonthefloor，“saidTembarom。“That”llbeallright。Hedoesn”twantmetoleavehim，anyhow。”
Heturnedtothemoneyonthetable。
“Say，“hesaidtohisguest，“there”stwothousandfivehundreddollarshere。We”vecountedittomakesure。That”squitesomemoney。
Andit”syours”
Thestrangerlookeddisturbedandmadeanervousgesture。
“Don”t，don”t！“hebrokein。“Keepit。Someonetooktherest。Thiswashidden。Itwillpay。”
“Youseeheisn”treal”outofhismind，“Mrs。Bowsemurmuredfeelingly。
“No，notreal”outofit，“saidTembarom。“Say，“——asaninspirationoccurredtohim，”IguessmaybeMissHutchinsonwillkeepit。Willyou，LittleAnn？Youcangiveittohimwhenhewantsit。”
“It”sagoodbitofmoney，“saidLittleAnn，soberly；“butIcanputitinabankandpayMrs。Bowsehisboardeveryweek。Yes，I”lltakeit。Nowhemustgotobed。It”sacomfortablelittleroom，“shesaidtothestranger，“andMrs。Bowsewillmakeyouahotmilk-punch。
That”llbenourishing。”
“Thankyou，“murmuredtheman，stillkeepinghisyearningeyesonher。
“Thankyou。”
SohewastakenuptothefourthfloorandputintoTembarom”sbed。
Thehotmilk-punchseemedtotakethechilloutofhim，andwhen，bylyingonhispillowandgazingattheshakedownontheflooraslongashecouldkeephiseyesopen，hehadconvincedhimselfthatTembaromwasgoingtostaywithhim，hefellasleep。
LittleAnnwentbacktoherfathercarryingarollofbillsinherhands。ItwasarollofsuchsizethatHutchinsonstartedupinhischairandstaredatthesightofit。
“Isthatthemoney？“heexclaimed。“Whatareyougoingtodowithit？
Whathaveyoufoundout，lass？“
“Yes，thisisit，“sheanswered。“Mr。Tembaromaskedmetotakecareofit。I”mgoingtoputitinthebank。Butwehaven”tfoundoutanything。”
CHAPTERVI
Hiswastheopeningincidentoftheseriesofextraordinaryandaltogetherincongruouseventswhichtookplaceafterwards，asitappearedtoT。Tembarom，likescenesinaplayinwhichhehadbecomeinvolvedinamannerwhichonemightbeinclinedtoregardhumorouslyandmakejokesabout，becauseitwasathousandmilesawayfromanythinglikereallife。Thatwasthewayitstruckhim。Theeventsreferredto，itwastrue，werethingsonenowandthenreadaboutinnewspapers，butwhiletheworldrealizedthattheywereactualoccurrences，oneratherregardedthem，whentheirparallelswerereproducedinbooksandplays，asbelongingalonetotheworldofpureandhighlyromanticfiction。
“Iguessthereasonwhyitseemsthatway，“hesummedituptoHutchinsonandLittleAnn，aftertheworsthadcometotheworst，“isbecausewe”venotonlyneverknownanyoneit”shappenedto，butwe”veneverknownanyonethat”sknownanyoneit”shappenedto。I”vegottoownupthatitmakesmefeelasifthefellows”djustyellrightoutlaughingwhentheyheardit。”
Thestranger”smoneyhadbeensafelydepositedinabank，andthestrangerhimselfstilloccupiedTembarom”sbedroom。Hesleptagreatdealandwasveryquiet。WithgreatdifficultyLittleAnnhadpersuadedhimtoletadoctorseehim，andthedoctorhadbeenmuchinterestedinhiscase。Hehadexpectedtofindsomesignsofhishavingreceivedaccidentallyorotherwiseablowuponthehead，butonexaminationhefoundnoscarorwound。Theconditionhewasinwasfrequentlytheresultofconcussionofthebrain，sometimesofprolongednervousstrainorharrowingmentalshock。Suchcasesoccurrednotinfrequently。Quietandentirefreedomfromexcitementwoulddomoreforsuchaconditionthananythingelse。Ifhewasafraidofstrangers，byallmeanskeepthemfromhim。Tembaromhadbeenquiterightinlettinghimthinkhewouldhelphimtoremember，andthatsomehowhewouldintheendreachtheplacehehadevidentlysetouttogoto。Nothingmustbeallowedtoexcitehim。Itwaswellhehadhadmoneyonhispersonandthathehadfallenintofriendlyhands。Acityhospitalwouldnothavebeenlikelytohelphimgreatly。
Therestraintofitsnecessarydisciplinemighthavealarmedhim。
SolongashewaspersuadedthatTembaromwasnotgoingtodeserthim，hewascomparativelycalm，thoughsunkinapiteousandtormentedmelancholy。Hisworsthourswerewhenhesataloneinthehallbedroom，withhisfaceburiedinhishands。Hewouldsositwithoutmovingorspeaking，andLittleAnndiscoveredthatatthesetimeshewastryingtoremember。Sometimeshewouldsuddenlyriseandwalkaboutthelittleroom，muttering，withwoeinhiseyes。Ann，whosawhowhardthiswasforhim，foundalsothattoattempttocheckordistracthimwasevenworse。When，sittinginherfather”sroom，whichwasontheothersideofthewall，sheheardhisfretted，hurriedpacingfeet，herfacelostitsdimpledcheerfulness。Shewonderedifhermotherwouldnothavediscoveredsomewayofclearingtheblackclouddistractinghisbrain。Nothingwouldinducehimtogodowntotheboarders”dining-roomforhismeals，andthesightofaservantalarmedhimsothatitwasAnnwhotookhimthescantfoodhewouldeat。AsthetimeofherreturntoEnglandwithherfatherdrewnear，shewonderedwhatMr。Tembaromwoulddowithoutherservices。Itwasshewhosuggestedthattheymusthaveanameforhim，andthenameofapartofManchesterhadprovidedone。TherewasaplacecalledStrangeways，andonenightwhen，intalkingtoherfather，shereferredtoitinTembarom”spresence，hesuddenlyseizeduponit。
“Strangeways，“hesaid。“That”dmakeagood-enoughnameforhim。Let”scallhimMr。Strangeways。Idon”tlikethewaythefellowshaveofcallinghim”theFreak。”“
Sothenamehadbeenadopted，andsoonbecameanestablishedfact。
“ThewayIfeelabouthim，“Tembaromsaid，“isthatthefellow”snotabitofajoke。WhatIseeisthathe”supagainstaboutthetoughestpropositionI”veeverknown。Gee！thatfellow”snotcrazy。He”sworse。
Ifhewasout-and-outdippyanddidn”tknowit，he”dbeallright。
Likelyasnothe”dbethinkinghewasthePopeofRomeorAnnaHeld。
Whatknockshimoutisthathe”sjustrightenoughtoknowhe”swrong，andtobetryingtogetback。Heremindsmeofoneofthosechapsthepaperstellaboutsometimes——fellowsthatgotoworkinlivery-stablesfortenyearsandcallthemselvesBillJones，andthenwakeupsomemorningandrememberthey”resomehigh-browedministerofthegospelnamedtheRev。JamesCadwallader。”
WhenthecurtaindrewuponTembarom”samazingdrama，Strangewayshadbeenoccupyinghisbednearlythreeweeks，andhehimselfhadbeensleepingonacotMrs。Bowsehadputupforhiminhisroom。TheHutchinsonswereonthepointofsailingforEngland——steerage——onthesteamshipTransatlantic，andTembaromwassecretlytornintofragments，thoughhehaddonewellwiththepageandhewasdaringtobelievethatattheendofthemonthGaltonwouldtellhimhehad“madegood“andtheworkwouldcontinueindefinitely。
Ifthathappened，hewouldberaisedto“twenty-fiveper“andwouldbeamanofmeans。IftheHutchinsonshadnotbeengoingaway，hewouldhavebeenfloatingincloudsofrosecolor。IfhecouldpersuadeLittleAnntotakehiminhandwhenshe”dhadtimeto“tryhimout，“
evenHutchinsoncouldnotutterlyfloutafellowwhowasmakinghissteadytwenty-fiveperonabigpaper，andwasonsuchtermswithhisbossthathemightgetotherchances。Gee！buthewasafellowthatluckjustseemedtochase，anyhow！Lookattheotherchaps，lotsof”em，whoknewtwiceasmuchashedid，andhadlivedindecenthomesandgonetoschoolanddonetheirdarnedbest，too，andthenhadn”tbeenabletogetthere！Itdidn”tseemfairsomehowthatheshouldrunintosuchpureluck。
ThedayarrivedwhenGaltonwastogivehisdecision。Tembaromwasgoingtohandinhispage，andwhilehewasnaturallyatriflenervous，hisnervousnesswouldhavebeenahopefulandnotunpleasantthingbutthattheTransatlanticsailedintwodays，andintheHutchinson”sroomsLittleAnnwaspackinghersmalltrunkandherfather”sbiggerone，whichheldmoremodelsanddrawingsthanclothing。Hutchinsonwasredderinthefacethanusual，andindignantcondemnationofAmericaandAmericanmillionairespossessedhissoul。
Everybodywasratherdepressed。Oneboarderafteranotherhadwakenedtoarealizationthat，withthepassingofLittleAnn，Mrs。Bowse”sestablishment，evenwiththeparlor，thecozy-corner，andthesecond-
handpianolatosupportit，wouldbeadeserted-seemingthing。Mrs。
Bowsefeltthetoneoflowspiritsaboutthetable，andevenhadahorriblesecretfearthatcertainofherbestboardersmightdecidetogoelsewhere，merelytochangesurroundingsfromwhichtheymissedsomething。Hereyeswerealittlered，andshemadegreateffortstokeepthingsgoing。
“IcanonlykeeptheplaceupwhenI”venoemptyrooms，“shehadsaidtoMrs。Peck，“butI”dhaveboardedherfreeifherfatherwouldhaveletherstay。Buthewouldn”t，and，anyway，she”dnomorelethimgooffalonethanshe”djumpoffBrooklynBridge。”
IthadbeenarrangedthatpartlyasafarewellbanquetandpartlytocelebrateGalton”sdecisionaboutthepage，therewastobeanoysterstewthatnightinMr。Hutchinson”sroom，whichwasdistinguishedasabed-sitting-room。TembaromhaddiplomaticallysuggestedittoMr。
Hutchinson。ItwastobeTembarom”soystersupper，andsomehowhemanagedtoconveythatitwasonlyaproperandmodesttributetoMr。
Hutchinsonhimself。First-classoysterstewandpalealewerenotsobadwhenproperlysuggested，thereforeMr。Hutchinsonconsented。JimBowlesandJuliusSteinbergerweretocomeintosharethefeast，andMrs。Bowsehadpromisedtoprepare。
ItwasnotaninspiringdayforLittleAnn。NewYorkhadseemedabewilderingandfartoonoisyplaceforherwhenshehadcometoitdirectlyfromhergrandmother”scottageintheEnglishvillage，whereshehadspentherlastthreemonthsbeforeleavingEngland。Thedarkroomsofthefive-storiedboarding-househadseemedgloomyenoughtoher，andshehadfounditmuchmoredifficulttoadjustherselftohersurroundingsthanshecouldhavebeeninducedtoadmittoherfather。
AtfirsthistemperandtheopencontemptforAmericanhabitsandinstitutionswhichhecalled“speakinghismind“hadgivenheragreatdealofcarefulsteeringthroughshoalstodo。Attheoutsettheboardershadresentedhim，andsometimeshadsnappedbacktheirownviewsofEnglandandcourts。Violentanddisparagingargumenthadoccasionallybeenimminent，andMrs。Bowsehadwornanominouslook。
Theirroomshadinfactbeen“wanted“beforetheirfirstweekhadcometoanend，andLittleAnnherselfscarcelyknewhowshehadtidedoverthatsituation。Buttideitovershedid，andbysupernaturaleffortandwatchfulnessshecontrivedtosootheMrs。Bowseuntilshehadbeeninthehouselongenoughtomakefriendswithpeopleandaidherfathertorealizethat，iftheywentelsewhere，theymightfindonlythesameclassofboarders，andtherewouldbethecostofmovingtoconsider。ShehadbeguiledanarmchairfromMrs。Bowse，andhadre-
covereditherselfwitharemnantofcrimsonstuffsecuredfromamiscellaneousheapatamarked-downsaleatadepartmentstore。Shehadarrangedhisbooksandpapersadroitlyandhadkeptthemintheirplacessothatheneverfelthimselfobligedtosearchforanyoneofthem。Withmanylittlecontrivancesshehadgivenhisbed-sitting-roomalookofcomfortandestablishedhomeliness，andhehadevenbeguntolikeit。
“Tha”tjustlikethamother，Ann，“hehadsaid。“She”dmakearailwaystationlookasifithadbeenlivedin。”
ThenTembaromhadappeared，heraldedbyMrs。BowseandtheG。