The big man bent over the child clumsily and tried to raise his
quivering chin.

"Aw, now, Freddy," he coaxed, "wanna come out with me an'--an' have a
soda?"

Freddy shook his head.

"Buy ya some candy, too. Choc'late drops! An' how about one o' them
li'l airyplane toys I seen in the window down the street? Huh? Or some
marbles? Huh? Freddy, le's go buy out this here dinky li'l ole town.
What-ta ya say, huh? Le's paint this li'l ole town red! What-ta ya
say, sport?"

Freddy managed a feeble smile.

"How come you so flush, Brudder Johnsing?" he asked in what he
considered an imitation of darky talk. "Mus' 'a' bin rollin' dem
bones!"

"Tha's a boy!" shouted Bert with a great guffaw. "There's a comeback
for you! Game! Tha's what I always liked about you, Freddy. You was
always game."

"I wanna be game!" said Freddy, stiffening his lips. "You tell
Florette. You write to her I was game. Will ya, Bert?"

A bell rang.

"Aw, I gotta go dress for supper, Bert. They dress up for supper
here."

"A' right, kid. Then I'll be goin'----"

"Goo'-by, Bert. You tell her, Bert."

"So long, kid."

"Will ya tell her I was game, Bert?"

"Aw, she'll know!"

Madame Margarita d'Avala found herself in a situation all the more
annoying because it was so absurd. She had promised to sing at the
Misses Blair's School for the benefit of a popular charity, and she
had motored out from New York, leaving her maid to do some errands and
to follow by train. But it was eight o'clock and the great Madame
d'Avala found herself alone in the prim guest room of the Misses
Blair's School, with her bag and dressing case, to be sure, but with
no one to help her into the complicated draperies of her gown. There
was no bell. She could not very well run down the corridor, half nude,
shouting for help, especially as she had no idea of where the Misses
Blair kept either themselves or their servants. The Misses Blair had
been so fatiguingly polite on her arrival. Perhaps she had been a
little abrupt in refusing their many offers of service and saying that
she wanted to rest quite alone. Now, of course, they were afraid to
come near her. And, besides, they would think that her maid was with
her by this time. They had given orders to have Madame d'Avala's maid
shown up to her as soon as she arrived, and of course their maid would
be too stupid to know that Madame d'Avala's maid had never come.

Margarita d'Avala bit her lips and paced the floor,