turned straight over to
the head of the Schnitts' table, where she introduced her companion in
due form.

"I want my walking suit," she demanded.

Heinrich's face had lighted with pleasure at the sight of Constance,
but there was a trace of sadness in his voice.

"You must tell Louis Ersten," he politely advised her.

"I did," protested Constance. "He's holding it back on account of the
coat, and that's your affair."

"It is Louis Ersten's," insisted Heinrich with dignity. "I have retired
from business."

"You don't mean to say you've left Ersten?" returned Constance in
surprise.

"I have retired from business," reiterated Heinrich.

"Ersten wouldn't give papa enough room," broke in Mama Schnitt
indignantly, "so he quits, and he don't go back till he does."

"So I don't ever go back," concluded Heinrich.

"Well, we got enough that papa don't have to work any more," asserted
Mama Schnitt with proper pride and a glance at Flora Kraus; "but he
gets lonesome. That's why we make him come down to Coney to-day and
enjoy himself. He was with Louis Ersten thirty-seven years."

A wave of homesickness swept over Heinrich.

"I take it easy in my old days," he stoutly maintained, but with such
inward distress that, without a protest, he allowed the waiter to
remove his half-emptied glass of beer.

"I'm glad you can take it easy," declared Constance, "but Ersten's
customers will miss you very much--and I am sure Ersten will, too."

"We worked together thirty-seven years," said Schnitt wistfully.

"I'm sure it's only obstinacy," commented Constance when she and Johnny
had rejoined their party. "Why, Mr. Schnitt and Mr. Ersten have grown
up together in the business, and they seemed more like brothers than
anything else. I'd give anything to bring them together again!"

"I'll ask you for it some time," asserted Johnny confidently.

He caught a flash of challenge in her eyes and realized that he was
moving faster than his schedule would permit.

"I'm going to bring them together, you know," he assured her in
confusion.

"I do hope so," she demurely replied.

"We're wasting an awful lot of time!" called Winnie. "The Canals of
Venice! We haven't been in this." And she promptly bought six tickets.

In the bustle of taking boats an officious guard succeeded, for the
thousandth time that day, in the joyful duty of separating a party; and
Constance and Johnny were left behind to enjoy the next boat all to
themselves