y rejecting all of them and remaining where he was. "I'm sick
of politics. I'm disillusioned about serving my crowd, and I don't
particularly want to serve yours. Nothing in it that I particularly
want; and a man's not effective in politics unless he wants something
for himself, and wants it hard. I can reach my ends by straighter roads.
There are plenty of things to keep me busy. We haven't begun to develop
our resources in this State; we haven't had a look in on them yet.
That's the only thing that isn't fake--making men and machines go, and
actually turning out a product."

The doctor poured himself some white cordial and looked over the little
glass into the fire with an expression which led Ottenburg to believe
that he was getting at something in his own mind. Fred lit a cigarette
and let his friend grope for his idea.

"My boys, here," Archie went on, "have got me rather interested in
Japan. Think I'll go out there in the spring, and come back the other
way, through Siberia. I've always wanted to go to Russia." His eyes
still hunted for something in his big fireplace. With a slow turn of his
head he brought them back to his guest and fixed them upon him. "Just
now, I'm thinking of running on to New York for a few weeks," he ended
abruptly.

Ottenburg lifted his chin. "Ah!" he exclaimed, as if he began to see
Archie's drift. "Shall you see Thea?"

"Yes." The doctor replenished his cordial glass. "In fact, I suspect I
am going exactly TO see her. I'm getting stale on things here, Fred.
Best people in the world and always doing things for me. I'm fond of
them, too, but I've been with them too much. I'm getting ill-tempered,
and the first thing I know I'll be hurting people's feelings. I snapped
Mrs. Dandridge up over the telephone this afternoon when she asked me to
go out to Colorado Springs on Sunday to meet some English people who are
staying at the Antlers. Very nice of her to want me, and I was as sour
as if she'd been trying to work me for something. I've got to get out
for a while, to save my reputation."

To this explanation Ottenburg had not paid much attention. He seemed to
be looking at a fixed point: the yellow glass eyes of a fine wildcat
over one of the bookcases. "You've never heard her at all, have you?" he
asked reflectively. "Curious, when this is her second season in New
York."

"I was going on last March. Had everything arranged. And then old Cap
Harris thought he could drive his car and me