e
came he wanted, it was far away and drowsy. Kenny looked at his watch.
It was not yet eight o'clock.

"Garry," he said, "is that you?"

"Yes. Who's calling?"

"It's I--Kenny."

"Kenny!" Garry's astonished voice came clearly over the wire. "Kenny,
where on earth did you go?" he demanded. "And what's the matter? Is
anything wrong? What are you doing up in the middle of the night?"

Kenny snorted.

"Garry," he said, "I'm mailing to you now in a very few minutes my
check for four thousand dollars--"

"Say it again."

"I said--I'm mailing to you--my check--for--four thousand--dollars."

"Wait a minute, Kenny. This wire must be out of order."

Kenny swore beneath his teeth.

"I said," he repeated with withering distinctness, "that
I--am--mailing--to--you--my--check--for--four--thousand--dollars. And
I want you to cash it in old bills. Get, that, Garry, please. Old
bills."

"Old bills!" repeated Garry in a strangled voice. "For the love of
Mike! . . . _Old bills_!"

"Garry! For God's sake, listen! This is absolute, unadulterated
common sense. I want you to get that money in old bills, the older the
better. Ragged if you can. And I want you to send it to me, Craig
Farm, by registered package, special delivery."

"Are you in some mess or other? Because if you are I'll bring it."

"No, I can wait. I particularly don't want you to bring it. I can't
explain now. I'll write you all the details. Then I want you to get a
statement from the bank. Even with the four thousand gone, my balance
ought to be at least a thousand dollars. See what they make it."

"Yes."

"Next I want you to call up Ann Marvin and ask her if she's still
looking for another girl to share her studio with her . . . Ann Marvin."

"Peggy's with her."

"I know that. She said she wanted a third girl. If she does, tell her
I'm bringing my ward--"

"Your--what!"

"My--ward--"

"Kenny," came in cold and scandalized tones from the other end, "have
you been to bed at all?"

"If you make any pretense at all of being my friend," roared Kenny in a
flash of temper, "will you do me the favor of assuming that I'm
serious? I'm not drunk. I'm not insane. I've slept the night
through. And I'm tired and terribly in earnest."

"You did say your ward."

"I did. Mr. Craig--the uncle, you remember, an invalid--died. And
he's made me the guardian of his niece--"

"The poor boob." Garry's voice was sad and sincere.