put-up job
of the Big Chief--that's one of his methods. We'll get Ricaby out before
to-night. I thought you'd like to come with me to jail--he's down in the
Tombs."

"The Tombs!" she exclaimed.

"Of course," he went on, "that's no place for a lady, but when I'm with
you, you might be in the St. Regis for the courteous treatment you'll
get. Say, can you see Cooley's face when he finds out who went on
Ricaby's bond! Do you know what worried them so? They heard that Ricaby
is trying to raise money to retain ex-Senator Wratchett. That fellow
Cooley's a wonder! He hears about things before they happen."

"Then it's for me--for my sake," faltered Paula, "that Mr. Ricaby is in
prison. I believe he has beggared himself for me--to fight this case.
He never tells me how much I owe him. It's all my fault. Let's go to him
at once. Oh, Mr. Chase, I'm so grateful to you!"

Going into her room, she reappeared immediately with her hat and coat
and began hurriedly to put them on.

"Then call me Tod, won't you?" grinned her companion. "All my men
friends call me Tod. The only name I won't stand for is Todhunter. Your
Uncle Jimmy insulted me with that epithet once, and I went up so high in
the air that he never did it again. I'm the one man your uncle respects.
I make so much noise he has to bribe me to keep quiet. That's Bascom
Cooley's argument--the more noise you make the more attention you get,
and the more you fool people. Cooley says----"

"Don't be like Mr. Cooley," she protested.

"He's mighty successful, all the same. Do you know, Miss Marsh, he and
two or three others run this city?"

"More's the pity," she replied dryly.

Enthusiastically he went on:

"Bascom Cooley is the great American legal genius--he never loses a
case. If I thought it would please you I'd cut out the brass band
effects and put some soft pedal polish on my manners. You wouldn't
believe it, would you? I almost graduated, that is, I nearly took a
degree. I can slow down to society speed if I want to."

"Whatever you are, be yourself," smiled Paula gently.

"Then you like me as I am, eh?" he grinned. "Well, that's a good start!"

"Let us go, please," said Paula, embarrassed at the personal tone the
conversation had taken. "When I think that a noble-hearted,
self-sacrificing friend is in prison because he tried to help
me--I--feel I ought to share his prison cell with him. Let us go to him
at once."

"Say, I'd go to jail for the rest of my lif