, and give me leave to make any play that I happens to think
of, I'll tackle it."

"Good!" says Mr. Robert. "And I'll make it worth a hundred to you to
keep him away from here until it's all over."

"I'm on the job," says I.

As I skips back I grabs my hat out from under a rear seat and makes
straight for Brother Bill. "Come on," says I. "She's waitin' for you
now. We've got just half an hour to do it in."

Bill, he looks sort of jarred and reluctant; but I has him by the arm
and is chasin' him down the steps before he can ask any dippy questions.
First off I thought of runnin' him up the avenue until he's clean
winded; but I see by the way he strikes out that it would take more
lungs than I've got to do that.

There was a lot of weddin' cabs and such waitin' round the corner,
though; so I steers him into the first one that has the apron up, jumps
in after him, shoves up the door in the roof, and sings out:

"Beat it! This ain't any dream carnival you're hired for!"

"What number?" says the bone thumper.

For about two shakes I was up against it, and then the only place I
could think of was Benny's house; so I give him that, and off we goes.

"But I say, young man," says Brother Bill, "I came on to go to the
wedding."

"Sure," says I; "that'll be all right too. Didn't I tell you there was
some word left for you?"

"Yes," says he, "I believe you did. Also you said something about her
waiting----"

"Right again," says I. "She'll be tickled to death to see you too."

"Yes; but the wedding?" says he.

"That'll be there when we get back--maybe," says I. "You came on kind
of unexpected, eh?"

"Yes," says he. "I didn't think I could get away at first; but I managed
it."

"How'd you get out?" says I. "Was it a clean quit, or a little
vacation?"

"Why--er--why," says he,--"yes, it was a--er--little vacation, as you
say."

"Chee!" thinks I. "The nerve of him! Wonder if he sawed the bars, or
sneaked out in a packin' case?" But, say, I couldn't put it to him
straight. When I gets these bashful fits on I ain't any use.

"How long you been in?" says I.

"In?" says he. "Oh, I see! About five years."

"Honest?" says I.

Then I had another modest spell that won't let me ask him whether he'd
been put away for givin' rebates, or grabbin' for graft. I knew it must
have been somethin' respectable like that. Anyone could see he wa'n't
one of your strong arms or till friskers.

I was just wishin' I knew how to