er that a man who accomplishes so much is
at least entitled to eight hours' sleep a day."

"You're a fine one to preach, you old night owl."

"In the first place, I am only David Cole. Besides, I put in a full
allowance of time in bed. Mrs. Milliken daren't come in before eleven.
Then, I don't smoke strong perfectos, especially in the morning, and I
have a drink of claret perhaps once a week."

"Yes, I'll paint you with a halo around your old bald head, some day,"
he retorted.

"And now, what shall I say to Frances?" I asked, deeming it urgent to
revert to my errand.

"I don't want her! Busy with other things!"

I looked at him, in surprise and disappointment, and walked off towards
the hall where hung my hat and coat.

"Very well," I said, "I shall try and find something else for her to do.
Good-by, Gordon."

"Good-by, Dave. Come in again soon, won't you?"

I made some noncommittal reply and rushed over to the elevator, ringing
several times. When I reached the street I hurried to the cars, thinking
that _la donna_ may be _mobile_, but that as a weathercock Gordon was
the limit. I got out at the Fourteenth Street station and soon reached
home, at the very same time as a big scarlet runabout which I had
noticed in the street, in front of the studio building. It halted with a
grinding of brakes.

"I say, Dave! Tell her to come to-morrow morning. I am off to lunch at
Ardsley. By-by."

It was Gordon, bearing in his pocket a summons for overspeeding, which
he proudly exhibited.

"I got the car this week," he informed me. "It's a bird to go. So long!"

He was off again, skidding around the next corner in such fashion as to
make me sympathize with his life insurance company, and I started up the
stairs to see Frances. I must say that I was rather nervous. The task of
telling her about that letter seemed, now that it was so nearly
impending, a rather tough one to carry out. As usual in such cases, my
footsteps became slow on the last of the stairs.

I knocked at the door, which was opened by Frieda.

"Come in, Dave," she said. "I thought I'd drop in to see that Baby Paul
was none the worse for his experience. I might as well have saved my
breath, as far as I can see. Frances needs a little bracing up; I think
she's rather discouraged this morning."

"One moment," I excused myself. "I forgot a paper I wanted to show her."

My room appeared to have been ransacked, but I saw that Mrs. Milliken,
in spite of m