phoid!" shouted Gabe.

"While I'm not in the habit of asking gentlemen their names, I'd like to
inquire if yours happens to be Marks--Gabe I. Marks?"

"Sure," said Gabe. "That's me."

"Miss Bauer's nurse telephones down last week that if a gentleman named
Marks--Gabe I. Marks--drops in and inquires for Miss Bauer, I'm to tell
him that she's changed her mind."

On the way from Spiegel's corset department to the car, Gabe stopped only
for a bunch of violets. Effie's apartment house reached, he sent up his
card, the violets, and a message that the gentleman was waiting. There
came back a reply that sent Gabie up before the violets were relieved of
their first layer of tissue paper.

Effie was sitting in a deep chair by the window, a flowered quilt bunched
about her shoulders, her feet in gray knitted bedroom slippers. She
looked every minute of her age, and she knew it, and didn't care. The
hand that she held out to Gabe was a limp, white, fleshless thing that
seemed to bear no relation to the plump, firm member that Gabe had
pressed on so many previous occasions.

Gabe stared at this pale wraith in a moment of alarm and dismay. Then:

"You're looking--great!" he stammered. "Great! Nobody'd believe you'd
been sick a minute. Guess you've just been stalling for a beauty rest,
what?"

Effie smiled a tired little smile, and shook her head slowly.

"You're a good kid, Gabie, to lie like that just to make me feel good.
But my nurse left yesterday and I had my first real squint at myself in
the mirror. She wouldn't let me look while she was here. After what I
saw staring back at me from that glass a whole ballroom full of French
courtiers whispering sweet nothings in my ear couldn't make me believe
that I look like anything but a hunk of Roquefort, green spots included.
When I think of how my clothes won't fit it makes me shiver."

"Oh, you'll soon be back at the store as good as new. They fatten up
something wonderful after typhoid. Why, I had a friend----"

"Did you get my message?" interrupted Effie.

"I was only talking to hide my nervousness," said Gabe, and started
forward. But Effie waved him away.

"Sit down," she said. "I've got something to say." She looked
thoughtfully down at one shining finger nail. Her lower lip was caught
between her teeth. When she looked up again her eyes were swimming in
tears. Gabe started forward again. Again Effie waved him away.

"It's all right, Gabie. I