en, of whom say one per cent. have a flaw in their claim to
wedlock. To this residuum, the .0025 part of a perfect gentleman, whom
he has not the honor to know personally, our Mr. Smith tenders profound
apologies.

But the Persons of the book, dear friends, who have filled two years of
my life with happiness, are not only Imaginary People with assumed
names, but they inhabit a district at variance with the maps, at a
period not shown in earthly calendars. So far aloof from the world where
they might give offense to earthly readers, they are outside the bounds
of space and time, and belong to that realm of Art where there is but
one law, whereby they stand or fall, must live or die--fidelity to Life.

Your obedient servant,

THE AUTHOR.

A MAN IN THE OPEN

PART I

CHAPTER I

ON THE LABRADOR

_Dictated by Mr. Jesse Smith_

Don't you write anything down yet, 'cause I ain't ready.

If I wrote this yarn myself, I'd make it good and red from tip to tip,
claws out, teeth bare, fur crawling with emotions. It wouldn't be dull,
no, or evidence.

But then it's to please you, and that's what I'm for.

So I proceeds to stroke the fur smooth, lay the paws down soft, fold up
the smile, and purr. A sort of truthfulness steals over me. Goin' to be
dull, too.

No, I dunno how to begin. If this yarn was a rope, I'd coil it down
before I begun to pay out. You lays the end, so, and flemish down, ring
by ring until the bight's coiled, smooth, ready to flake off as it runs.
I delayed a lynching once to do just that, and relieve the patient's
mind. It all went off so well!

* * * * *

When we kids were good, mother she used to own we came of pedigree
stock; but when we're bad, seems we took after father. You see mother's
folk was the elect, sort of born saved. They allowed there'd be room in
Heaven for one hundred and forty-four thousand just persons, mostly from
Nova Scotia, but when they took to sorting the neighbors, they'd get
exclusive. The McGees were all right until Aunt Jane McGee up and
married a venerable archdeacon, due to burn sure as a bishop. The Todds
were through to glory, with doubts on Uncle Simon, who'd been a whaler
captain until he found grace and opened a dry-goods store. Seeing he
died in grace, worth all of ten thousand dollars, the heirs concluded
the Lord should act reasonable, until they found uncle had left his
wealth to charities. Then