tle Alfred come down with a messenger boy, in such a
mess as never was!"

"I hope he arrived safely?" Burton inquired. "I found it necessary to
send him home."

"He arrived all right," Ellen announced.

"You found a change in him?" Burton asked.

"If you mean about his finicking ways, I do find a change," Ellen
replied, "and a good job, too. He's playing with the other boys again
and using those silly books to shoot at with a catapult, which to my
mind is a sight more reasonable than poring over them all the time. I
never did see a man," she continued, with a slow smile, "so taken aback
as Mr. Denschem, when he came to take him to the museum yesterday.
Little Alf wouldn't have nothing to do with him at any price."

Burton sighed.

"I am afraid," he said politely, "that you may have been inconvenienced
by not hearing from me on Saturday."

"'Inconvenienced' is a good word," Ellen remarked. "I've managed to pay
my way till now, thank you. What I came up to know about is this!" she
went on, producing a copy of the Daily Press from her reticule and
smoothing it out on her knee.

Burton groaned. He looked anxiously at Mr. Waddington.

"Have you read it, sir?" he asked.

Mr. Waddington shook his head.

"I make it a rule," he said, "to avoid the advertisement columns of all
newspapers. These skilfully worded announcements only serve to remind
us how a man may prostitute an aptitude, if not an art, for sheer
purposes of gain. It is my theory, Mrs. Burton," he went on,
addressing her, "that no one has a right to use his peculiar capacities
for the production of any sort of work which is in the least unworthy;
which does not aim--you follow me, I am sure?--at the ideal."

Ellen stared at him for a moment.

"I don't follow you," she declared, brusquely, "and I don't know as I
want to. About that advertisement, is it you, Alfred, who's to be one
of the directors of this Menatogen or whatever they call it? Are they
your experiences that are given here?"

"They are!" Burton groaned.

Mr. Waddington, with a heavy frown, took the paper.

"What is this, Burton?" he demanded.

"You had better read it," Burton replied, sinking into a chair. "I
mentioned it to you a little time ago. You see, the scheme has finally
come to fruition."

Mr. Waddington read the advertisement through, word by word. One
gathered that the greatest discovery for many thousands of years would
shortly be announced to the world. A certified an