"That man--that Mr. Pulcifer. Mr.--ah--Deedee--Beebe, I mean--was busy,
and Mr. Pulcifer insisted on showing me the caps. I didn't like this one
at all, but he talked so much that--that I couldn't stay and hear him
any longer. He makes me very nervous," he added, apologetically. "I
suppose it is my fault, but--ah--he does, you know."

"And do you mean to say that you took this--this outrage because Raish
Pulcifer talked you into it?"

Galusha smiled sadly. "Well, he--he talked me into it--yes," he
admitted. "Into the--ah--cap and out of the store. Dear me, yes."

Miss Martha drew a long breath.

"My heavens and earth!" she exclaimed. "And what did you do with
father's hat, the one you wore down there?"

Her lodger gasped. "Oh, dear, dear!" he exclaimed. "Oh, dear me! I must
have left it in the shop. I'm SO sorry. How could I do such a careless
thing? I'll go for it at once, Miss Phipps."

He would have gone forthwith, but she stopped him.

"I'm goin' there myself in a little while," she said. "I've got some
other errands there. And, if you don't mind," she added, "I'd like to
take this new cap of yours with me. That is, if you can bear to part
with it."

She went soon afterward and when she returned she had another cap, a
sane, respectable cap, one which was not a "sticker."

"I took it on myself to change the other one for this, Mr. Bangs," she
said. "I like it lots better myself. Of course it wasn't my affair at
all and I suppose I ought to beg your pardon."

He hastened to reassure her.

"Please don't speak so, Miss Phipps," he begged. "It was very, very kind
of you. And I like this cap VERY much. I do, really.... I ought to have
a guardian, hadn't I?" he added.

It was precisely what she was thinking at the moment and she blushed
guiltily.

"Why, what makes you say that?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm not saying it, not as an original thought, you know; I'm merely
repeating it. Other people always say it, they've said it ever since I
can remember. Thank you very much for the cap, Miss Phipps."

He was sunnily cheerful and very grateful. There was not the slightest
resentment because of her interference. And yet if she had not
interfered he would have worn the hideous yellow cap and been as
cheerful under that. Pulcifer had imposed upon him and he realized it,
but he deliberately chose being imposed upon rather than listening to
the Pulcifer conversation. He was certainly a queer individual, this
lodger