se, though?"

"Sure," says Joe. "That's what she told all of us."

"Eh?" gasps Waddy.

"Some hugger, that one," says Joe. "Swell lady, too. A bear-cat for
makin' love, I'll tell the world. Me, and the Cap., and the First Loot,
and you, all the same day. She was goin' to marry us all. And the Cap.,
with a wife and two kids back in Binghamton, N. Y., he got almost
nervous over it."

"I--I can't believe it," says Waddy gaspy. "Did--did she give you a--a
token, as she did to me?"

"No," says Joe. "None of us fell quite so hard for her as you did. I
guess we kinda suspected what was wrong with her."

"Wrong?" echoes Waddy.

"Why not?" asks Joe. "Four years of the Huns, and then we came blowin'
in to lift the lid and let 'em come up out of the cellars. Just
naturally went simple in the head, she did. Lots like her, only they
took it out in different ways. Her line was marryin' us, singly and in
squads; overlookin' complete that she had one perfectly good hubby who
was an aide or something to King Albert, as well as three nice
youngsters. We heard about that later, after she'd come to a little."

For a minute or so Waddy stands there starin' at Joe with his mouth open
and his shoulders sagged. Then he slumps on a log and lets his chin
drop.

"Goin' to hunt her up and give back the ring?" asks Joe. "That the
idea?"

"Not--not precisely," says Waddy. "I--I shall send it by mail, I think."

And all the way out he walked like he was in a daze. He generally takes
it hard for a day or so, I understand. So we had that underground
excursion all for nothing. That is, unless you count my being able to
give Mr. Robert the swift comeback next mornin' when he greets me with
a chuckle.

"Well, Torchy," says he, "how did you leave Bruzinski?"

"Just where I found him," says I, "about three hundred feet
underground."

CHAPTER VI

HOW TORCHY ANCHORED A COOK

It began with Stella Flynn, but it ended with the Hon. Sour Milk and
Madam Zenobia. Which is one reason why my job as private sec. to Mr.
Robert Ellins is one I wouldn't swap for Tumulty's--unless they came
insistin' that I had to go to the White House to save the country. And
up to date I ain't had any such call. There's no tellin' though. Mr.
Robert's liable to sic 'em onto me any day.

You see, just because I've happened to pull a few winnin' acts where I
had the breaks with me he's fond of playin' me up as a wizard performer
in almost any line. Course, a