icent opportunity. Horace cannily tried to extract from Jake
the promise of a commission before he told him. Jake promised. Then
Horace sprang his invention.

Now Jake was even more bitter against the tango than Doctor Brearley,
Judge Hippisley, or Mr. Pepperall. The bar annex to his restaurant, or
rather the bar to which his restaurant was annexed, had been almost
deserted of evenings since the vicious dance mania raged. The
bowling-alley where the thirst-producing dust was wont to arise in
clouds was mute. Over his head he heard the eternal Maugans and the
myriad-hoofed shuffle of the unceasing dance. When he understood what
Horace proposed he emitted the roar of an old uhlan, and the only
commission he offered Horace was the commission of murder upon his
person.

Horace retreated in disorder and reported to Prue. Prue called upon Jake
herself, smilingly told him that all he needed to do was to crowd his
tables together round a clear space, revolutionize his menu, get a cook
who would cook, and spend about five hundred dollars on decorations.

"Five hundret thalers!" Jake howled. "I sell you de whole shop for five
hundret thalers."

"I'll think it over," said Prue as she walked out.

She could think over all of it except the five hundred dollars. She had
never thought that high. She told Horace, and he said that the way to
finance anything was to borrow the money from the bank.

Prue called on Clarence Dolge, the bank president she knew best. He
asked her a number of personal questions about her earnings. He was
surprised at their amount and horrified that she had saved none of them.
He advised her to start an account with him; but she reminded him that
she had not come to put in, but to take out.

He said that he would cheerfully lend her the money if she could get a
proper indorsement on her note. She knew that her father did not indorse
her dancing, but perhaps he might feel differently about her note.

"I might get poppa to sign his name," she smiled.

Mr. Dolge exclaimed, "No, thank you!" without a moment's hesitation. He
already had a sheaf of papa's autographs, all duly protested.

She went to another bank, whose president announced that he would have
to put the very unusual proposal before the directors. Judge Hippisley
was most of the directors. The president did not report exactly what the
directors said, for Prue, after all, was a woman. But she did not get
the five hundred.

Prue had set her h