"Why, yes," replied Miss Phipps, "he lives here. He's right here now.
Won't you step in?"

The man who had asked the question accepted the invitation and entered
the dining room. He was a big, broad-shouldered man in a raccoon motor
coat. He took off a cap which matched the coat and looked about the
room. Then he saw Galusha.

"Why, hello, Loosh!" he said.

Galusha knew him, had recognized the voice before he saw its owner. His
mouth opened, shut, and opened again. He was quite pale.

"Ah--ah--why, Cousin Gussie!" he stammered.

For the man in the fur coat standing there in Martha Phipps' dining room
was the senior partner of Cabot, Bancroft and Cabot.

CHAPTER XIX

For perhaps thirty seconds after the exchange of greetings, the trio
in the Phipps' dining room stood where they were, practically without
moving. Mr. Cabot, of course, was smiling broadly, Miss Phipps was
gazing in blank astonishment from one to the other of the two men, and
Galusha Bangs was staring at his relative as Robinson Crusoe stared at
the famous footprint, "like one thunderstruck."

It was Cabot who broke up the tableau. His smile became a hearty laugh.

"What's the matter, Loosh?" he demanded. "Great Scott, old man, I
expected to surprise you, but I didn't expect to give you a paralytic
stroke. How are you?"

He walked over and held out his hand. Galusha took it, but he looked
as if he was quite unaware of doing so. "Cousin Gussie!" he repeated,
faintly. Then he added his favorite exclamation. "Dear me!"

Even Martha, who by this time was used to his eccentricities, thought
his conduct strange.

"Why, Mr. Bangs," she cried, "are you sick? What is it?"

Galusha blinked, put a hand to his forehead, knocked off his spectacles,
picked them up again and, in doing so, appeared to pick up a little of
his normal self.

"Why, Cousin Gussie," he observed, for the third time; adding, "I--I am
surprised."

His cousin's laugh made the little room echo.

"Good, Loosh!" he exclaimed. "I guessed as much; you looked it. Well, it
is all right; I'm here in the flesh. Aren't you glad to see me?"

Galusha stammered that he was very glad to see him--yes,
indeed--ah--quite so--very, of course.

"Ah--ah--won't you sit down?" he asked.

Martha could stand it no longer. "Why, mercy's sakes, Mr. Bangs," she
exclaimed, "of course he'll sit down! And he'd probably take off his
coat, if you asked him."

This pointed hint had an immediate effe