hen he declared that his
countrymen were mostly fools. But then, Carlyle was insular, after all,
and unduly favored the inhabitants of his isle, as any British subject
would. Nearly all men all over the world were fools, Gordon asserted.
Coyotes and foxes had an instinctive dread of traps, but men walked into
them so innocently that merely to behold them was enough to drive a man
to drink.

After all, I don't care what O'Flaherty and such cattle think! As long
as I can save Frances, or any other good woman, from shedding one more
tear than has been ordained for her, I shall do so. I refuse to be
envious of the intelligence of foxes and coyotes, and I will always
resent uncouthness and mean thoughts.

She looked rather tired when we came down the steps of the elevated
road. I begged her to let me take Baby Paul in my arms, and she finally
consented, after first declining. It did not awaken him, and we reached
the house in becoming tranquillity. Some of our fellow lodgers were on
the steps and greeted us civilly. They were the three young men and the
two girls. Thank goodness they appeared to be too unversed in the
wickedness of this world to entertain such ideas as must have passed
through the bullet-head of O'Flaherty!

* * * * *

On the next day, I went up to Gordon's studio, and I confess it was with
the purpose of looking again at that picture. He was superintending the
packing of his suit cases and a trunk. I told him something of my
experience, my indignation throbbing in my throat.

"You're a donkey, Dave," he consoled me. "What right or title have you
to the belief that the millennium has come? I suppose the poor girl is
entitled to some commiseration, for her troubles are in the nature of a
series of accidents and misfortunes which no one could foresee. Yours,
on the other hand, are simply due to congenital feebleness of some parts
of your gray matter. By-by, old fellow, my taxi's waiting for me!"

CHAPTER IX

I HEAR RUMORS ABOUT GORDON

When we reached the top floor, Frances took the baby from me, while I
lit her gas-jet. She kissed Baby Paul effusively, and placed him on the
bed, after which she turned to me.

"It has done him ever so much good," she declared. "See how splendidly
he looks now. Tell me, why are you so kind to me?"

Women have been in the habit of propounding riddles ever since the world
began. This was a hard one, indeed, to answer, because I d