nate
surname until he could see him face to face and get a chance of lowering
his voice a bit. Absolutely absurd to stand outside a chappie's door
singing song-hits in a lemon-coloured bathing suit. He pushed the door
open and walked in; and his subconscious self, always the gentleman,
closed it gently behind him.

"Up!" said a low, sinister, harsh, unfriendly, and unpleasant voice.

"Eh?" said Archie, revolving sharply on his axis.

He found himself confronting the hurried gentleman who had run upstairs.
This sprinter had produced an automatic pistol, and was pointing it in
a truculent manner at his head. Archie stared at his host, and his host
stared at him.

"Put your hands up," he said.

"Oh, right-o! Absolutely!" said Archie. "But I mean to say--"

The other was drinking him in with considerable astonishment. Archie's
costume seemed to have made a powerful impression upon him.

"Who the devil are you?" he enquired.

"Me? Oh, my name's--"

"Never mind your name. What are you doing here?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, I popped in to ask if I might use your
'phone. You see--"

A certain relief seemed to temper the austerity of the other's gaze. As
a visitor, Archie, though surprising, seemed to be better than he had
expected.

"I don't know what to do with you," he said, meditatively.

"If you'd just let me toddle to the 'phone--"

"Likely!" said the man. He appeared to reach a decision. "Here, go into
that room."

He indicated with a jerk of his head the open door of what was
apparently a bedroom at the farther end of the studio.

"I take it," said Archie, chattily, "that all this may seem to you not a
little rummy."

"Get on!"

"I was only saying--"

"Well, I haven't time to listen. Get a move on!"

The bedroom was in a state of untidiness which eclipsed anything which
Archie had ever witnessed. The other appeared to be moving house. Bed,
furniture, and floor were covered with articles of clothing. A silk
shirt wreathed itself about Archie's ankles as he stood gaping, and,
as he moved farther into the room, his path was paved with ties and
collars.

"Sit down!" said Elmer M. Moon, abruptly.

"Right-o! Thanks," said Archie, "I suppose you wouldn't like me to
explain, and what not, what?"

"No!" said Mr. Moon. "I haven't got your spare time. Put your hands
behind that chair."

Archie did so, and found them immediately secured by what felt like a
silk tie. His assiduous host then procee