ed to see LordPercy Whipple, the butler had replied that Lord Percy wasconfined to his bed and was seeing nobody. He eyed Jimmy, onreceiving his name, with an interest whic

outand had been engaged in pasting

xt. He ebbed away from the Duke's frontdoor like an army that has made an unsuccessful fronta

ght. It was a beautifulday. The rain whic

sity of watching cricket

ade his way into Piccadilly, andfound that thoroughfare a-roar with happy automobilists and

s in his character. He had been having too good a time foryears past to have leisure to realise that he possessed anyresponsibilities. He had lived each day as it came in the spiritof

asmany pieces in a jig-saw puzzle and that our every movementaffects the fortunes of some other piece. Just so, faintly atfirst

o which it is possiblethat his headache contributed he put the matter squarely tohimself. His father was longing to return to America--he, Jimmy,by his idiotic behaviour was putting obstacles in the way of thatreturn--what was the

panies have their offices, and so it came about thatJimmy, chancing to look up as he walked, perceived before him,riding gallantly on a cardboard ocean behind a plate-glasswindow, the model of a noble vessel. He stopped, conscious of acurious thrill. There is a superstition in all of us. When anaccidental happening chances

be a simpler solution

hip's interior organs, and hand overyour money. A child could do it, if in funds. At this thought hishand strayed to his trouser-pocket. A musical crackling ofbank-notes proceeded from the depths. His quarterly allowance hadbeen paid to him only a short while befo

By remaining in London he was injuringeverybody, himself included. . . . Well, there was no

present mood. WhatJimmy needed was a grave, sensible man who would have laid a handon his shoulder and said "Do nothing rash, my boy!" The clerkfell short of thi

avesPaddington six to-night."Prudence came at the eleventh hour to check Jimmy. This was not amatter, he perceived, to be decided recklessly, on the spur of asudden impu

He thanked the clerk, and started towalk up the Haymarket, feeling hard-headed and practi

ket that he first became consci

es in front of him most of the way. Shehad come out of Panton Street, walking briskly, as

my, ever a warm admirerof the sex, began to

ther herface, if seen, would prove a disappointment. Thus musing, he drewnear to the top of the Haymarket, where it ceases to be a streetand becomes a whirlpool of rushing traffi

was keyedup for the exhibition of swift presence-of-mind. He jumpedforward and caught her arm, and swung her to one

you," sai

with rather a ruefulexpression. She was a

idn't hurt yo

she laughed. She hada small, piquant, vivacious face. Jimmy, as he looked at it, hadan odd feeling that he

but he could not bring it into the open. As for the girl, if she

r days. She was plainly an American, and he occasionallyhad the feeling t

y," said the girl, "and Ihaven't got used to your keeping-to-the-left rules. I don'tsuppose I shall ever

orner of Regent Street. As to thesafest way, if I were you I should cross over at the top of thestreet there and then work ro

. Jimmy turned into thatdrug-store at the top of the Haymarket at which so many Londonershave found healing and comfort on the morning after, and b

esin quest of lunch. He had intended to seek out some quiet,restful nook where he could be alone with his thoughts. Ifanybody had told him then that five minutes later he would beplacing hims

pray to whatever strange godsthey worship. The more prosperous section of London's Bohemiaflocked to it daily. When Jimmy had deposited his hat with therobber-

he could see the gir

n with eye-glasses, a handsomewoman in the forties, and a small stout boy who was skirmishingwith the

cattercommands among the underlings. "I will place a table f

helittle man seemed depressed at the discovery that corn on the coband soft-shelled crabs were not to be obtained, and his wife'sreception of the news that clams were not included in theR

with it. When the last lingering strains had died awayand the violinist-leader, having straightened out the kinks inhis person which the

y spilled his cocktail. It might

hat remained in his glass, partly tomake sure of them, partly as a restorative. It is an unnervingthing to be

him--justlyenough--as a worm? Mingled with the mystery of the thing was itspathos. The thought that a girl could be as pretty as this oneand yet dislike him so much was one of

l. Jimmy thanked him with hiseyes. He

inking--"He set i

r, orthat stout child start prattling about some general topic? Surelya boy of that age, newly arrived in London, must have all sortsof things to prattle about? But the little man was dealingstrenuously with

to know what he's doing. He's deliberately chosen to loafabout London and make a pest of himself. He went to pieces withhis eyes open. He's a perfect, utter, hopeless WORM!"Jimmy had never been very fond of the orchestra at the RegentGrill, holding the view that it interfered with conversation andmade for an unhygienic rapid

red incomparative silence; then the girl's voice spoke aga

go back to-morrow?"For the first time in the proceedings the elder woman spoke. Shecast aside her mantle of gloom long enough to say "Yes," thenwrapped it round her again. The little man, who had apparentlybeen waiting for her vote

be a boat," said the g

stand is how,after having been in America and knowing what it was like, JimmyCrocker could stand living . . ."The wai

bout himself was exhausted. He placed anoiseless sovereign on the table, caught t

obelieve in miracles, revised the views of a life-time. He loo

p the coin and b

is predatory career, was staring at Jimmy with equalintensity, but with

anttouched his hat ingratiatingly, with the smug confidence of

rocker?""A wor

pest ofhimself."He passed on. The commissionaire stared after him as i

supper, but never before

sat in a condition of coma in thesmoking-room; then, his mind made up, he went to one

he wrote was

ear

ing I can do is todrop out of sight for a brief space. If I stay on inLondon, I am likely at

you a clear fieldand not interfere, so

It's no goodgrovelling in the dust of the front steps for the benefitof a man who's in bed

! I packed him off to America withintwenty-four hours. Get me right, boys! I'm anti-Jimmy andpro-Percy." To which their reply will be "Oh, well, inthat case arise, Lord Crocker!" or whatever they say whenslipping a title to a deserving guy. So

to watch a game of Rounders, and will cableyou the full score. Well.

about me. Ishall be all right. I'll get back my old job and be aterrific success all round. You go

S. I'm

to seeJimmy once more. With a sunny smile he snatched a penci

the passenger-list, of course."Jimmy did not reply. He was gazing rigidl

you."A delicious understanding relieved Jimmy's swimming brain, asthunder relieves the tense and straining air. The feeling that hewas going mad left him, as the simple solution of his mysterycame to him. This girl must have heard of him in NewYork--p

tream of thought cut t

hese things happening to himto-day of all days, when he nee

as holding aloft a pen. Jimmy gulped. Every name in theEnglish language

ss," he

l held ou

ce ourselves at last.

singlabels and a pink paper on him. The paper, he gathered dully, wasa form and had to be filled up. He examined it

Simple. Five

" Simple

Simple a

es of a more

vided she had red-gold hair, brown-gold eyes, the rightkind of mouth, and a dimple. What

ver been in p

you a lunatic?"Jimmy hesitated. The

on the boat-train snortedimpatiently, varyin

ucks, boys with buns and fruits, boys with magazines, friends,relatives, and Bayliss the butler, standing like a faithfulwatchdog

edge. Two fruit andbun boys who impeded his pas

illyou?""Very good, sir.""I'm glad you were able to manage. I thought your voice soundeddoubtful over the phone.""I was a good deal taken aback, Mr. James. Your decision to leavewas so extremely sudden.""So was Columbus'. You know about him? He saw an egg standing onits head and whizzed off like a jack-rabbit.""I

g, miss," he s

in astonishment, the

old friends."Bayliss, gaping perplexedly and feeling unequal to theintellectual pressure of the conversation, was surprised furthert

s Miss Chester, dad."A British butler is not easily robbed of his poise, b

aw an inch or two,

ance. Every line ofhim proclaimed him a respectable upper servant. No girl on earthcould have been freer than she of snobbish prejudice, but shecould not check a slight thrill of surprise and disappo

n the boat, Mr. B

said B

if it had been toldto her in detail. She could see the father, the honest steadybutler, living his life with but one aim, to make a gentleman ofhis beloved only son. Year by year he had saved. Probably he hadsent the so

was awareof a glow of kindliness towards him. His father had succeeded inhis life's ambition. He had produced a gentleman! How easily andsimply, without a trace of snobbish shame, the yo

lock pointed to thre

d to and fro lik

ou had better be taking your seatnow.""Quite right, I had. It would spoil the whole thing if they leftme behind.

om his pocket--"as onepal to another--"Bayl

""I won't do anything of the sort. Grab it! Oh, Lord, the train'sstarting! Good-bye, Bayliss!"The engine gave a final shriek of farewell. The train began toslide along the platform, pursued to the last by optimistic boysoffering buns for sale. It gathered speed. Jimmy, lean

reached up and thrust something into Jimmy's hand, somethingcrisp and crackling. Then, his miss

re, like Annfarther along the train, of a lump in

rain mo