the wharf-"the story of it! Isn't it a ripper. Isn't it a corker! His

he commented, quite

avis, I'll make a story out of this that will b

ing it over, suggesting, rearranging, and embellishing; and Condy was astonished and delighted to note tha

k herself," declared Condy. The "idea" of the articl

letter from the Centennial Company. "They

l of adventure! What MORE can you want? Oh!" she exclaimed impatiently, "that's so like you; you would tell everybody about your reverses, and carry on

r wrote a story of adventure-never wrote anything longer than six thousand words. But I'l

e a vivid glint of cloth or hanging, here a huge scarlet sign lettered with gold, and here a kaleidoscopic effect in the garments of a passer-by. Directly opposite, and two stories above their heads, a sort of huge "loggia," one blaze of gilding and crude vermilions, opened in the gray cement of a crumbling facade, like a sudden burst of flame. Gigantic pot-bellied lanterns of red and gold swung from its ceiling, while along its railing stood a row of pots-brass, ruddy bronze, and blue porcelain-from whic

u know what time it is?" She pointed a white kid finger through the doorway of a drug-store, where, a

ed Condy. "Great heav

home. Never mind; I'll go som

se tea, now that you're down he

ink it

he

soul there at this hour. I know they serve tea a

VENLY! Wait a moment. I'll tell you what we will do. Tea won't be enough. We'll g

back to Chinatown Travis stopped at a music store on Kearney Street to get her banjo, which she had left to have its head tighten

d into Dupont Street with its thronging coolies and swar

ng in front of a wholesale tea-house bearing a

ained the restaurant on the top story of the building. As Travis had foretold, it was deserted. She

the other the old Plaza. Enormous screens of gilded ebony, intricately carved and set with colored glass panes, divided the room into three, and one

bay with its anchored ships, and even beyond this the faint purple of the Oakland shore. On either side of these doors, in deep alcoves, were divans with mattings and head-rests for opium smokers. The walls were painted blue and hung with vertical Cantonese legend

a lazy, soothing rumble. Nearer at hand, Chinatown sent up the vague murmur of the life of the Orient. In the direction of

le of the marble-seated stools to the table. He took off his hat, lighted a cigarette, let it go out, lighted it again, and burned his fingers. He opened and closed the f

led him in a duel-or was it Terry killed Broderick? I forget which. Anyhow, right opposite, where that pawnshop is, is where the Overland stages used to start in '49. And eve

them tea on Condy's order. But besides tea, he brought dried alm

ondy's penknife, and arranged the cubes

you get so many crackers? There's hundreds of them h

s? You were dickering with the cheese, and the man said, 'How many

! Oh, Condy, you are-you are-But never mind, here's y

tern palates, but the dried almonds were a great success. Then Condy promptly got the hiccoughs from drinking his tea

h, that's right! I don't laugh. It isn't s

walk them off. Sit down and hold your breath while you count nine.

'll have a cigarette. D

s that in yo

-I beg your pardon. I'm a regula

at nonsense! I would have to

!" he exclaimed. "

, his hand encountered a paper-covered vol

pocket?" he muttered, frowning. "What have I been car

book i

h'm," he murm

e. "Wake up, Condy, I'm ta

e answered, with a start; "

I never heard of

here, this won't do. Sit right still, and I'll read you one of these yarns before you're another minute older. Any

the city from which he hasted to flee, Travis Bessemer fell under the charm of the little

realism on the part of the author to have him speak of the pitch of the hills in just such technical terms. At first he thought he would call Travis' attention to this bit of cleverness; but as he read he abruptly changed his mind. He would see if she would find it out for herself. It would be a test of her quickness, he told himself; almost an unfair test, because the point was extremely subtle

r would describe it

lamming down the book joyfully. "T

it?' she inq

d she drank another cup of tea, he read to her "The Return of Imri" and the "Incarnation of Krishna Mulvaney." He found her an easy and enrapt convert

s. "Just a LITTLE better than

those stories to read! You h

ng only the novels we take

mutter

as to make out of the old mate's yarn, Chinatown, the charming unconventionality of their lunch in the Chinese restaurant, the sparkling serenity of t

t justly renowned impresario, Signor Conde Tin-pani Rivers, specially engaged for this performance; with a pleasing an

anjo here?" said Travis, as he s

ntlemen - with - your - kind - permission - I - will - endeavor - to - give - you - an - imitation - of - a - Car

l's a high-

k, but not

but there was no one to hear, and, as he went along, even Travis began to hum the words, but at that, Condy

in beauty you make up in amiability, and I've no doubt

rry a tune half a dozen bars without entangling herself in as many different keys. What voice she had was not absolutely bad;

o from his knees, "if I can't sing, I

uted a banjo "piece" of no little intricacy.

th a great flourish and gazed at him in triumph, only to find him pretending a profou

hers," he ret

about

. "Let's DO something. Suppose

he started up and clapped his hand to his head wi

Travis in alarm

aurie Flagg's Tea. I ought to

a sigh of relie

ny difference. I won't go, that's all. Push those almonds here, will you, Miss Lady?-But we aren't DOING anything," he exclaimed, with a brusque return of exuberance. "Let's do t

as a beast ca

h a spring a

ad was

head of

rupetanti

cal

rupetanti

from his name

s not like

ed, I'll

four hund

ed most unc

ly t

d most uncom

, pounding on the table. "He

while they were eating the last of their cheese, his good spirits fell rapidly a

ondy?" ask

a dark frown, muttering

hat's the matter?" ask

her inquiries by closing his eyes and putting his c

what

e this was all that could be got from him. No, no, she

don't I? Condy Rivers,

ell. You don't take me seri

t w

ffoon of myself," h

hey had just been having a good time, that was all. Why, s

lly. I'm a buffoon.-But haven't we had a gre

, "when I've had a better time than I've had to-d

, th

rselves, and haven't pretended we were in love with e

wh

places. We've had a glorious time to-day, ha

night, for instan

the same as I did. It WA

wa

ou've had a good time to-day. Haven't you had a

know when I've had a be

ood times, but just as chums. We've tried the othe

out. It DID

, no more foolishness.

s. No more

d, this little affair would have been all ended after our 'explanation' of last night-confessing, as we did, that we didn't love each other. Most couples would have 'drifted apart'; but here we are, planning

you look that way; I don't know, look kind of blix.

li

ds-don't you know, THIS way?"-and he snapped his fingers. "Don't you see what I mean? Blix, that's who you are. You've always bee

repeated; "b

y n

t know

that settled the question. They mad

nder her fingers. "Not too tight. Condy, don't pull it so tight. There, there, that will do. Have you everything that belongs

rance in the outer room. Condy put his fingers into his vest pocket, t

larm, "are you sick?"-for he

quarter for those beastly crackers. What's to be done? What is to

dly. "I knew this would happen sooner or later, and I always have

ahdo

in," protested Condy. "I'll pay you back to-nig

WOULD be a

d. "Don't, it humili

on't be so absurd. It

nd stairs, he clapped his h

is it?" she in

he exclaimed. "I knew I

it, yo

, here, take these. We mustn't leave these," he declared earnestly. "It would be a shameful w

the Plaza, going down to Kearney Street; "

me?-how f

talked out-if it w

at the Club; and I've got to wri

enuine concern. "Don't play to-night, C

! What money have I

wheres. But, anyhow, pro

d besides, I've got my whaleback stuff to write. I'll have supper at

it East? Send it to the Centennial Company, why don't you? They've paid some attention to you now, and it would keep

y I'll have to write it out of busi

car, "keep your mind on that thirty-thousand-word story of adventu

been better.

nse to his question, the hall-boy told him that Tracy Sargeant

ht, and perhaps go to the theatre afterward. And now at the sight of Sargeant in the "round window" of the main ro

he effects of a certain amount of dissipation in the little puffs under the eyes and the faint blueness of the temples. The sudden death of his father for which event Sargeant was s

to work to-night

gars in a window of the main room, one of the

, and several other of those gentlemen are up in the

ere! They've got a game going, Cond

nced, for he knew Sargeant well enough to make the confession without wi

where the silence was broken only by the click of poker-chips. At the end of twenty minu

ver. The color left his face, and the moisture fled his lips. His projected article, his promise to Blix, all the jollity of the afternoon, all thought of time or place, faded away as the one indomitable, evil passion of the man leaped into life within him, and lashed and roweled him with excitement. His world resolved itself to a round

dime, a round of Jack-pots was declared, and the game broke up. Condy walked home to the uptown hotel where he lived with hi

upon the corner waiting to cross; then it was the gay, brisk confusion of the water-front, the old mate's cabin aboard the whaleback, Chinatown, and a loop of vermilion cloth over a gallery rail, the golden balcony, the glint of the Stevenson ship upon the green Plaza, Blix playing the banjo, the delightfu

and harassed him. In spite of himself, he felt contemptible. Yet he had broken his promises to her in this very matter of playing before-before that day of their

ver worried me before. Why should it worry me now-worry me like the devil;