the door shut, and
seated himself comfortably in Von Barwig's armchair.

"Freak? Freak? we have no freaks here! Oh," and a faint smile stole
over Von Barwig's features, which he tried hard to repress. "You mean
perhaps Miss Husted?"

"Do I?" inquired Costello, "well, p'raps I do! She's of the vintage of
1776, and looks like a waxwork edition of ----"

"Please, please!" remonstrated Von Barwig. "She is a lady, a most
hospitable, kind-hearted lady! You would like her if you knew her,
really----"

"Maybe so," said Costello, somewhat dubiously; and then he blurted out:
"Well, profess', I've come on a professional visit! I want to put you
wise before you turn up to play to-night."

Von Barwig looked pained. Costello was bawling at the top of his voice,
and he was afraid that the household would hear.

"Hush, please! You speak so loud. As you know, my visits to the Museum
are, in a sense, a secret. I keep my private and my professional life
apart, as it were. Forgive me, but please, please, don't speak loudly!
I do not wish it known; for they think that I--they do not know that
I--have--" Von Barwig was about to say, "fallen so low," but he did not
wish to hurt the amiable Costello's feelings; so he paused.

"That's all right, profess'," broke in Costello; "I'm having a little
trouble with my main attraction, Bosco, the armless wonder. I wish she
was a tongueless wonder! She has no arms, but my God; how she can talk!
I left her taking it out of the day professor; she was swearing a blue
streak. Ain't it funny how these stars kick?" and Mr. Costello bit the
end off a cigar, viciously lit it, and puffed furiously at it till the
room was clouded with smoke. Von Barwig was silent. He was waiting for
Mr. Costello to tell him the worst, that he could not come again. His
heart began to beat; what should he do if he lost his position?

"She says your music is queering her act," said Mr. Costello finally,
"she says you don't give it to her thumpin' enough; she wants ragtime or
she can't work."

"I will do my best," said the old man simply. "I try hard to please her;
indeed I do!"

"I know you do, I know you do, profess'! But, say, you can't do anything
with them guys! You know I like you, you've got such damned elegant
manners--the gentleman all over. Yes, sir, you're a twenty-two karat
gentleman; you're the first professor the freaks darsent josh!"

Von Barwig bowed his head. He was grateful to Co