ll be slim," and with that I starts to
finish the lap around the house and make for the double doors.

[Illustration: One of her elbows was tryin' to puncture my right lung.]

I've carried weight before, but never that kind, and it seemed like that
blamed house was as big around as a city block. Once or twice we butted
into the bushes, and another time I near tumbled the two of us into the
pool of a fountain; but after awhile I struck the front porch, some out
of breath, and with a few wisps of black hair in my eyes, but still in
the game. The lady hadn't made a murmur, and she hadn't slacked her
clinch.

I was hopin' to slide in quiet, without bein' spotted by anyone, for
most of the women had gone back to bed, and I could hear the men down in
the billiard room clickin' glasses over an extra dream-soother. Luck was
against me, though. Right under the newel-post light stood Pinckney,
wearin' a silk pajama coat outside of a pair of black broadcloth
trousers. When he sees me and what I was luggin' he looks kind of
pleased.

"Hello, Shorty!" says he. "What have you there?"

"It might be a porous-plaster, by the way it sticks," says I, "but it
ain't. It's a lady I've been rescuin' while the rest of you guys was
standin' around watchin' a wet cook."

"By Jove!" says Pinckney, steppin' up and takin' a close look. "Miriam!"

"Thanks," says I. "We ain't been introduced yet. Do you mind unhookin'
her fingers from the back of my neck?"

But all he did was to stand there with his mouth corners workin', and
them black eyes of his winkin' like a pair of arc lights.

"It's too pretty a picture to spoil," says he. "So touching! Reminds me
of Andromeda and What's-his-name. Just keep that pose a minute, will
you, until I bring up the rest of the fellows?"

"You'll bring up nothin'," says I, reachin' out with one hand and
gettin' a grip on the collar of his silk jacket. "Now get busy, or off
comes your kimono."

With that he quits kiddin' and goes to work on Miriam's fingers, and in
about a minute she gives a little jump, like she'd just heard the
breakfast bell.

"Why!" says she. "Where am I?"

"Right where you landed five minutes ago," says I.

Then she shudders all over and squeals: "Oh! A man! A man!"

"Sure," says I, "you didn't take me for a Morris chair, did you?"

Miriam didn't linger for any more. She lets loose a holler that near
splits me ear open, slides down so fast that her bare tootsies hit the
floor wi