il there wa'n't a soul on the block but what came
in on it. Know what one of the decorators told me? He says there ain't a
block on the West Side has had anything up to this, from Houston Street
up to the Harlem. That's goin' some, ain't it? You got here just in time
for the big doin's, too. It's comin' off right now. See who's standin'
up in the truck over there? That's one of the Paulist Fathers, who's
goin' to make the speech and bless the flag. There it comes, out of that
third-story window. Wow! Hear 'em cheer."

And as the red-bordered banner with the white field is pulled out where
the searchlight strikes it we can make out the figures formed by blue
stars.

"What!" says I. "Not 217 from this one block?"

"Uh-huh!" says Minnie. "And every one of 'em a Fritzie chaser. 'Most a
whole company. But ther'd been one less if it hadn't been for Stubby,
and everybody knows there's luck in odd numbers. That's why we're so
chesty about him. Eh, Mrs. Mears?"

Yes, it was some lively affair. After the speech Mme. Toscarelli, draped
in red, white and blue, sang the Star-Spangled Banner in spite of strong
opposition from one of the bands that got the wrong cue and played
"Indianola" all through the piece. And a fat boy rolled out of a
second-story window in the Princess flats, but caromed off on an awnin'
and wasn't hurt. Also a few young hicks started some rough stuff when
the ice-cream freezers were opened, but a squad of Junior Naval League
boys soon put a crimp in that. And when we had to leave, along about
nine-thirty, it was as gay a scene as was ever staged on any West Side
block, bar none. I remarked something of the sort to Mrs. Mears.

"Yes," says she, her eyes sort of dimmin' up. "And to think that all
this should be done for my Edgar!"

At which Minnie Casey tips us the private wink. "Why not, I'd like to
know?" says she. "Just look who he is."

"Yes, of course, dear," says Mrs. Mears, smilin' satisfied.

"Can you beat that for the genuine mother stuff?" whispers Minnie,
givin' us a partin' grin.

"I do hope," says Vee, as we settles ourselves in a Long Island train
for the ride home, "that Miss Casey gets her Edgar back safe and sound."

"If she don't," says I, "she's liable to go over and tear what's left of
Germany off the map. Anyway, they'd better not get her started."

CHAPTER V

THE VAMP IN THE WINDOW

It was a case of Vee's being in town on a shoppin' orgie and my being
invited to hunt