full of suggestions. They've all been good. One of them--one of them
made me laugh for a week. I even laugh now whenever I think of it--"

He leaned awkwardly over her chair and Virginia instinctively
recoiled. His flushed face and tainted breath frightened and disgusted
her. Each instant she feared that he would take her in his arms. To
avoid him, she rose from the dressing table and crossing the room, sat
down on the sofa. He followed her, still laughing.

"You'll enjoy it too--so listen!" he said. Raising his voice and in a
tone of command he went on: "Listen now, because you'll enjoy it. He
wanted me--"

He halted again, unable to continue for laughing, as he thought of
some of his employee's crazy notions. Then, proceeding, he said:

"You'll enjoy it. Such a joke! The man's as mad as a March hare. He
wanted me--to put up a factory--"

He tried to complete the sentence; but the absurdity of the
proposition was too much for him. He laughed till his face ached,
while Virginia sat silent, watching him sideways. When he had calmed
down, he said:

"It's the funniest thing I ever heard! You'll enjoy it too! He wanted
me to put up a factory--to make infants' food out of prickly pears--"
Once more he was unable to proceed for laughter. "Infants' food!
Prickly pears! Isn't that immense? Isn't that the funniest idea
that--"

Noticing that Virginia did not join in his merriment, he stopped and
asked:

"Don't you think it's funny?"

"Yes, dear. It probably is," she answered evasively.

"There's no 'probably' about it--it certainly is," he insisted. "I
don't think you got it, so I'll tell it again. He wanted me to put up
a factory--"

"I understood," she interrupted coldly.

He looked at her closely, as if unable to understand her cold
indifference.

"Well--don't you think it's funny?"

Wearily she answered:

"Yes, dear, it is."

"You don't seem to enjoy it," he grumbled.

She made no reply for a moment, at a loss what to say, anxious to
avoid saying anything that would furnish him with an excuse for a
scene. Her only hope was in keeping him in good humor and persuading
him to retire. It would be terrible if she had to endure the same
horrible experience with him as on former occasions when he came home
in this condition. Rising, she said quietly:

"I'm very tired, so I think I'll say good-night, dear."

She went towards her bedroom door, but before she could reach it, he
had intercepted her. There was