uld she join him? She was perfectly able to
come. He wired her:

"Stay where you are. Heat awful. On track of good thing. Jerry."

He was gone two weeks, then he appeared out of the woods one evening,
unannounced. Jane was on the veranda and saw him coming.

"Jerry!" she called in welcome as she went to meet him.

"Hello, Jane. How are you?"

"Fine. My child, but you are hot and tired!"

"I are! Never spent such an infernal fortnight in my life."

"Poor boy! Go get into a cold bath and I'll tell Mrs. Biggs to hurry the
dinner."

"Good work. I've got it, Jane," he called back, as he ran upstairs,
three at a time.

When he came down, fresh and immaculate in white clothes, she realized
that she was glad to see this handsome human, who in some strange way
was joined to her.

"Have you been lonesome, Jane?"

"Not very. I rather enjoyed it. Everything, including Billy, revolved
around me as the centre of the universe."

"I've had a report from Billy. He sat outside the bathroom door and
shouted in the news. Funny kid."

"You've had a tiresome time, Jerry."

"Yes, but I've got the nicest place in town, Jane."

"You didn't take an Upper Fifth Avenue house, Jerry?"

"No. I took a stable down on Washington Mews, and it's a peach! Belongs
to an interior decorator, who is going to California for a year, and
it's got every living thing we need. Air, sunshine, plenty of rooms,
servants' department, baths, big studio, everything."

"But my dear, doesn't it cost a fortune?"

"A little more than we planned, but if I speed up a bit, we can swing it
all right."

"Jerry, Jerry, I knew I ought to go with you. How much is it to be?"

"Never mind that. I took it; I've signed the lease. All you've got to do
is to enjoy it."

"Tell me about it."

He began to describe it, enthusiastic as a boy, dilating on this and
that convenience or luxury. He described its comfort, and made her feel
its charm.

"How you do love to have things right," she exclaimed.

"Of course, don't you?"

"Yes, but I don't actually have to have it to my heart's content, the
way you do. When do we move into our Arabian Nights' dream?"

"While you are in the hospital, I'll move all our old sticks into the
storeroom of the new place, and you can go right there, with the baby."

"It is good of you to do it all, and plan for my comfort this way,
Jerry."

"You won't need to call me a slacker again, Jane, if I can help it. Do
you think you wil