,' said the
Woman; so the two got up and I opened the door for her, and we three
sat down again--that is, the Small Man, the Bostonian and myself.

"We talked on, not noticing the time; then the Small Man looked at his
watch, jumped up and called out to the waiter: 'Where did you say that
telephone place was?'

"'In the hall--on the other side of that dure; ye kin see it from where
ye're sittin'.'

"'Well, he's taking a devil of a time to do his telephoning' said the
Small Man. 'Hold on to my coffee till I go and punch him up.'

"The Bostonian and I kept on talking. He was a draughtsman in an
architect's office, so he told me, and was promised a place the
following week, and I was very much interested in what he told me of
his walking the streets looking for work.

"Mike, the waiter, now laid the bill on the table. I didn't want to
know the amount; my hosts wouldn't want me to see it, of course, and so
I didn't look at it. The Bostonian craned his head, but I forestalled
his glance and turned a plate over it before he could read the total.

"Mike now approached.

"'Ye'd better pay now,' he said, 'before any more o' ye skip. It's nine
dollars and sixty cints.'

"'They'll all be back in a minute,' I said. 'Wait till they come. I'm
only an invited guest.'

"'I'll wait nothin'. The boss is out and I'm in charge. H'ist out yer
money.'

"The Bostonian had risen from the table now and was looking at me as if
I'd just been detected in picking his pocket.

"'But I'm an invited guest,' I protested.

"'Invited guest, are ye?' continued the Irishman. 'And ye ordered the
grub yersilf! You heard him!' This to the Bostonian. 'Didn't he order
the stuff? Let's see yer wad. No more o' ye's goin' to l'ave this room
'till I gits nine dollars and sixty cints. Here, Macaroni'--and he
called the Italian--'ring up the station-house and till thim to sind
somebody 'round. Ye can't play that game on me!"

"'My dear fellow,' I said--I had now to be as courteous as I could--'I
don't want to play anything on you. You may be right in your views that
these people have served me a scurvy trick, but I don't believe it.'

"'Well, thin, pull yer wad out, or I'll call the perlice.'

"'Don't do anything of the kind,' I urged. 'My name is Peter Griggs and
I live quite near here. Lived there for twenty years. You can find out
all about me from any of the neighbors; I haven't enough money with me,
but I'll go to my room and get it.'

"'No