l strength, of
his superior brutality; holding him through the ages. The terrific
persistence of Woman holding Man, Dolly, Man--the restless, the moody,
the incomprehensible; the erratic one, ever dissatisfied, ever bounding
to the end of his chain in blind surges toward painted things of the air
which _we_ know do not exist.

"Oh, no; you cannot help it, dear little Dolly. Cling, Dolly, cling!"

"That's horrid," Dolly had said, when she had finished this epistle.

And then, after a while, but this time with a smile; "how _perfectly_
horrid!"

But now, this patience, this persistence, was indeed a precious thing. It
enabled her to wait calmly for the turn of chance which would enable her
to find Charles-Norton. She read the papers every day. Truth to tell,
they promised little help, for by this time they were announcing
Charles-Norton simultaneously in New Orleans, Quebec, Key West, and
Victoria. Wisely, Dolly had preserved the first clippings. And after all,
it was from the papers that was to come the solution. The paper, one
morning, after describing appearances of Charles-Norton in Vladivostock,
Paris, and Timbuctoo, had slid from her knees to the floor, when her eyes
lit upon an advertisement on the up-turned back-page.

BISON BILLIAM

AND

HIS WORLD-RENOWNED WILD-WEST SHOW

PERMANENTLY

NOW

AT THE HIPPODROME

NIGHTLY

* * * * *

HENRIQUE FARMANO, IN HIS AEROPLANE,

WILL FLY FIFTY FEET!!

"Ooh!" said Dolly, suddenly clapping both her hands to her heart; "ooh,
I've got it!"

She sat there, a little weak with excitement, while a rosiness came to
her cheeks and a light in her eyes. "Yes," she said at length; "yes;
that's it!"

Upon which she dressed very carefully, put on her hat, and went downtown
to the Hippodrome.

Once there, she hesitated a moment before the glazed-glass door with its
shining brass plate, then knocked like a little mouse. A big bass voice
told her to come in.

The owner of the voice was seated at the desk, leaning back in his
rolling-chair, a big firecracker of a cigar in the corner of his mouth.
His feet were on the desk, and Dolly noticed them first: they were
encased in high-heeled boots that seemed very soft and fitted like
gloves. A soft, wide-brimmed felt hat sat rakishly upon his head. Hat,
cigar, and boot