ish with Mr. Blizzard, I shall ask you to be my next model."

The admiration with which the young man regarded Barbara was no less
frankly and openly expressed than was hers for him. "Until this moment,"
he said, "I have never understood the eager desire which some people
have to sit for their portraits. Whenever _you_ say."

She laughed. "And the new door-knobs?"

"Just because a man belongs to the secret service," returned the youth,
"is no reason why he shouldn't attempt once in a while to do something
really useful."

And he knelt once more and took up his work where he had left off.
Barbara stood by and watched him at it. "I would like to do his hands,
too," she thought, "when I can get round to it." They were very strong,
square, able hands. She found herself wishing to touch them. And since
this was a wish that she had never experienced for any other pair of
hands, she wondered at herself with a frank and childish wonder.

"Your taxi, Miss Barbara."

"Thank you, Bubbles."

She slipped out of her overall, and with swift touches adjusted her hat
at a small mirror. The secret-service agent once more rose from
his knees.

"Good-by," said Barbara, "and thank you, and don't forget."

"Never," said he.

She shook hands with him, and his firm strong clasp, literally
swallowing her own little hand, was immensely pleasant to her and of a
fine friendliness.

"Good-by, Bubbles. See you in the morning."

"Good-by, Miss Barbara."

She was gone. The man resumed his work. The boy watched.

"Harry."

"What?"

"Was I right?"

"Right."

[Illustration: Harry, the workman, ... rose to his feet, and turned to
Barbara with a certain quiet eagerness]

"A wonder--or not?"

"A wonder."

"Harry."

"What?"

"You won't leave Blizzard up to me all alone, will you? Not _now_, you
won't?"

"No, Bubbles, not now. Whenever he's posing in this room, you and I
won't be far off."

"Because," said Bubbles, smiling with relief, "I'd do my best, but if it
came to a show-down with _him_ there ain't a thing I _could_ do."

"One time or another," said Harry, "we'll _get_ him. You and I will."

"I betcher," said Bubbles.

And in his little peaked face there was much that was threatening to the
ultimate welfare of the legless beggar.

X

Barbara, ordinarily clear-minded and single-minded, drove uptown with
her thoughts in a state of chaos. She wished to think only about her
newly begun head of Satan fallen