t tell me! What on earth-- Mrs. Armstrong, will you tell
me?"

She looked at him appealingly, pitifully, but she shook her head.

"I--I can't," she said.

He looked from one to the other. Then, with a shrug, he turned to
the door.

"Pardon me for interrupting," he observed. "Good afternoon."

It was Ruth who detained him. "Oh, please!" she cried, involuntarily.
He turned again.

"You wish me to stay?" he asked.

"Oh--oh, I don't know. I--"

She had not finished the sentence; she was falteringly trying to
finish it when Mr. Babbitt took the center of the stage. Once more
he managed to free himself from Jed's grip and this time he darted
across the shop and put the workbench between himself and his enemy.

"I'll tell you what it is," he screamed. "I've found out some
things they don't want anybody to know, that's what. I've found
out what sort of folks they are, she and her brother. He's a
common-- Let go of me! By--"

The scream ended in another mumble. Jed had swarmed over the bench
and once more pinned him fast.

"You'll have to excuse me, Major," he panted. "I--I can't help it.
This feller's got what ailed the parrot--he talks too darn much.
He's got to stop! He's GOT to!"

But Grover was paying little attention. He was looking at Ruth.

"Mrs. Armstrong," he asked, "has he been saying--saying things he
should not say about you? Is that the trouble?"

She answered without returning his look.

"Yes," she said, almost in a whisper. "About me and--and my--
Yes, that was it."

The Major's eyes flashed. "Let go of him, Jed," he commanded. Jed
hesitated.

"If I do he'll blow up again," he said.

"Let go of him."

Jed let go. Phineas caught his breath and opened his mouth. Major
Grover stepped in front of him and leveled a forefinger straight at
the crimson Babbitt nose.

"Stop!" he ordered, sharply.

"Stop? What right have you got to tell me to stop? By--"

"Stop! Listen to me. I don't know what you've been saying about
this lady--"

"I ain't been saying anything, except what I know, and that is
that--"

"Stop! And I don't care. But I know about you, sir, because it is
my business to know. The Government has had its eye on you for
some time and it has asked me to look into your record. I have
looked into it. You are not a very dangerous person, Mr. Babbitt,
but that is because of your lack of ability to harm, not because of
any good will on your part toward th