aid in reassuring tones.

"You're all right, Miss, now. You're no longer defenceless in this
wicked city. The arrum of the law is around you," he cried, encircling
her waist with that substantial member. "You're safe at last, come here
to me out of that."

"Oh! noble, noble man," cried an emotional woman in the crowd. "If all
officers were like you!"

Heartened by these words the noble, noble man exerted the arm of the
law and plucked the maiden out of the cab amid great excitement and
applause. But above the general murmur the shrill voice of the sharp
youth rent the air:

"Fathead," he cried, "you've broke her neck. Can't you see how her
head's goin' round and round?"

[Illustration: THE CHANGELESS SMILE AND THE DROOPING PLUMES MADE THREE
COMPLETE REVOLUTIONS AND NESTLED CONFIDINGLY UPON THE SHOULDER OF THE
LAW. Page 129.]

At this the emotional woman dropped to the sidewalk. "Lady fainted here,
officer," cried a gentleman. But the noble, noble officer had no time
for faints, and the lady was obliged to revive with only the assistance
of the cold stones and curiosity.

For the shrill voice had spoken truth. Something had given away in
Maudie's mysterious anatomy; the fair head, the changeless smile and the
drooping plumes made three complete revolutions and nestled confidingly
upon the shoulder of the Law.

"Here, none o' that," yelled Patrolman McDonogh quite reversing his
earlier diagnosis of the situation. "None of your flim-flams, if you
please. You go quiet and paceable with this gentleman. A little ride in
the air is what you need."

"That's right, officer," Sedyard interrupted. "That's how to talk to
her. I can't do a thing with her."

"Brute!" cried the emotional woman now happily restored. "It's officers
like him that disgraces the force."

Patrolman McDonogh turned to identify this blasphemer and Maudie's head,
deprived of its support, made another revolution and then dropped coyly
to her left shoulder. She looked so unspeakable in that attitude that
the cabman felt called upon to offer a little professional advice:

"She needs a checkrein," he declared, "an' she needs it bad," a remark
which so incensed Patrolman McDonogh that Sedyard decided to explain:

"Just disperse those people, will you," said he, "I want to talk to you."

The sharp youth relieved the officer of law of his fair burden and
posed her in a natural attitude of waiting beside the cab. McDonogh
cleared the sidewalk and hea