fully--"

"Go ahead," urged Spratt heartily. "It's your pick-up and I'll get
mine. Hey, Spencer!"

A thin young man, with hair so light that he seemed to have no hair at
all and no eyebrows, came in.

"We've booked the Neapolitan Grand Opera Company for next week. Have
they got Caravaggio and Ricardo with them?" he asked, turning abruptly
to Bobby.

Bobby, with a smile, nodded his head.

"All right, Spence; get busy on some press stuff for the afternoon
papers. You can fake notices about them from what you know. Use
two-inch streamers clear across the pages, then you can get some fresh
stuff and the repertoire to-night for the morning papers. Play it up
strong, Spence. Use plenty of space; and, say, tell Billy to get ready
for a three o'clock rehearsal. Now, Burnit, let's go up to the Larken
and make arrangements."

"We might just as well wait an hour," counseled Bobby. "The only one I
found in the crowd who could speak English was Signorina Caravaggio."

"I know her," said Spratt. "Her other name's Nora McGinnis. Smart
woman, too, and straight as a string; and sing! Why, that big ox can
sing a bird off a tree."

"She's just gone over to lunch with Biff Bates at the Spender,"
observed Bobby, "and we'd better wait for her. She seems to be the
leading spirit."

"Of course she is. Let's go right over to the Spender."

Biff Bates did not seem overly pleased when his tete-a-tete luncheon
was interrupted by Bobby and Mr. Spratt, but the Signorina Nora very
quickly made it apparent that business was business. Arrangements were
promptly made to attach the carload of effects for back salaries due
the company, and to lease these to Bobby for the week for a nominal
sum. Bobby was to pay the regular schedule of salaries for that week
and make what profit he could. A rehearsal of _Carmen_ was to be
called that afternoon at three, and a repertoire was arranged.

Feeling very much exhilarated after all this, Bobby drove out in his
automobile after lunch to see Agnes Elliston. He found that young lady
and Aunt Constance about to start for a drive, their carriage being
already at the door, but without any ceremony he bundled them into his
machine instead.

"Purely as my trustee," he explained, "Agnes must inspect my new
business venture."

Aunt Constance smiled.

"The trusteeship of Agnes hasn't done you very much good so far," she
observed. "As a matter of fact, if she wanted to build up a reputation
as an expert tr