Piccadilly Jim

imousine, or while enjoying ten cents worth of fresh air on top of a green omnibus, it jumps out and bites at you. Architects, confronted with it, reel and throw up their ha

n than the complacent animals which guard New York's Public Library. It is a house which is impossible to overlook: and it

en of a fine Sunday morning, but the Sabbath calm which was upon the house had not communicated itself to him. There was a look of

rn

ed but little here below. At that moment all that he wanted was a quiet spot where he might read his Sunday pa

lie Partridge, who was working on a new explosive which would eventually revolutionise war-she had gradually added to her collections, until now she gave shelter beneath her terra-cotta roof to no fewer than six young and unrecognised geniuses. Six brilliant youths, mostly novelists who had not yet started and poets who were about to begin, cluttered up Mr. Pett's rooms on th

ty and the absence of anything approaching discipline had given him a precocity on which the earnest efforts of a series of private tutors had expended themselves in vain. They came, full of optimism and self-confidence, to retire after a brief interval, shattered by the boy's stodgy resistance to educat

e door of the morning-room, but, a remark in a high tenor voice about the essent

es later the process of elimination had brought him to what was technically his own private library-a large, soothing room full of old books, of which his father had been a great collector. Mr. Pett did not rea

erienced that ecstatic thrill which only comes to elderly gentlemen of solitary habit who in a house fu

lo,

awling in a deep c

p, come in.

the latter was lounging in his favourite chair. Even from an aesthetic point of view the sight of the bulging child offended him. Ogden Ford was round and blobby and looked overfed. He had the plethoric ha

manded Mr. Pett, his disappoin

an

ould not eat

silenced the enemy's battery. Mr. Pett grunted, but made no verbal comment.

his morning, ha

be spoken to

ly. "I can always tell. I don't see why you want

s sniffing

been s

e!

g cigar

, s

wo butts in

t put th

them i

a warm

there when you h

ws was in here before me. They're always swiping your coffin-nails. Y

sandth time he felt himself baffled by this calm, goggle

the open air this lovely

go for a walk. I

o do," said Mr. Pett, re

ated anyway. Where's the sense of ha

have been out on a morning l

ok at y

do you

r to l

bago," said Mr. Pett, who

r own way. A

er m

aying what

qu

her researches

some

N

ot to be carefu

do you

ou used to be. Come in, pop, if you're c

lly different man on Riverside Drive from the person he was in Pine Street? Why should he be able to hold his own in Pine Street with grown men-whiskered, square-jawed financiers-and y

ll to find a place wh

ay p

at the end of it. From behind this door, as from behind those below, sounds proceeded, but this time they did not seem to discourage Mr. Pett. It was the tapping

called a gi

ues and browns smiling cheerfully at whoever entered. The walls were hung with prints, judiciously chosen and arranged. Through a window to the left, healthfully open at the bottom, the sun streamed in, bringing with it the pleasantly subdued whirring

thing humorous, a kind of demure appreciation of itself. When it smiled, a row of white teeth flashed out: or, if the lips did not part, a dimple appeared on the right cheek, giving the whole face an air of mischievous geniality. It was an enterprising, swashbuckling sort of mouth, the mouth of one who would lead f

er," she said. "W

errupting

ry for aunt Nesta. I promised her I wo

said he w

and everything. You would never think aunt Nesta had such a feverish imagination. There are detectives and kidnappers in it and all sorts of

rithed into what was inte

lace as this house. It looks big enough outside for a regiment. Y

ibrary? Isn't tha

Ogden's

a sh

ir," said Mr. Pett morose

had promised aunt Nes

o good my talking to him. He-he patronises me!" concluded Mr. Pett indignantly. "Sits there on his shoulde

le br

nfined for the most part to letters and presents. In the past few years she had come almost to regard Mr. Pett in the light of a father. Hers was a nature swiftly responsive to kindness; and because Mr. Pett besides being kind was also pathetic she pitied as well as loved him. There was a lingering boyishness in the financier, the boyishness of the boy who muddles along in an unsympathetic world and can never do anything right: and this quality called aloud to the youth in her. She was at the valiant age when

Ogden is in a class by himself. He ought to b

ent to Sing-Sing,

you send hi

idnapped. It happened last time he went to school. You can'

gers meditative

times thou

es

get on with this th

red him to Ann always led him to open his Sabbath reading in this fashion. Grey-headed though he was, he still retained both in art and in real life a taste for the slapstick. No

corridor came a muffled thuddin

Mitchell punc

said M

d hear Jerry Mitche

he's t

ughtfully for a moment. Then she

le P

slowly from the

E

re? I forget his name. Smithers or Smethurst or something. People-old ladies, you know, and people-bring him thei

word. "There might be something in that if one got behind it. Dogs

y on the market. It only works when the dog has be

er with them. It looks to me as if I might do busines

when any one brings him a fat, unhealthy dog is to feed it next to nothing-just the simplest kind of food, you k

Mr. Pett, d

e keys of her

because we had been talking of Ogden. Don't you t

's eyes

can't have a we

tune with her fing

him good, w

r he was a baseball fan of no lukewarm order. The claims of business did not permit him to see as many games as he could wish, but he followed the national

said Ann, turni

E

sta's is all about an angel-child-I suppose it's meant to be Ogden-being stolen and hidden an

long ago, when half the kidnappers in America were after him. She sent him to school in England-or, rather, her husband

smuggle him away now and kee

Mr. Pett

were once more on his paper. She gave a

ing, typing aunt Nest

deas into o

n the magazine section, for he was a man who ploughed steadily through

t God

her uncle in concern. He was

s the

es of a young man in evening dress pursuing a young woman similarly clad along what appeared to be a rest

LY JIM O

entures of You

York an

looking at was a small reproduction of a photograph which had been inserted in the body of the article. It was

esta F

ciety Leader

She frowned as she caught sight of the heading of

have they got aunt N

hed a deep and

was afraid they would. I don't know w

let her

ownstairs. She's pro

cing through

ey have published before. I can't understand why th

newspaper man, and the Chronicl

flus

she said

tone arrested Mr.

e," he said hastily

ng Mr. Crocker's erstwhile connection with the New York Chronicle

e was your nephe

" corrected Mr. Pett

r Eugenia marr

t makes me a s

tant c

e too dista

hurried footsteps o

g a paper in her han

s sympath

d backing. "Ann and I wer

was a large woman, with a fine figure and bold and compelling eyes, and her personality crashed disturbingly into the quiet atmosphere of the room. Sh

she demanded, sinking heavily into th

office hours essentially a passive organism, and it was his tendency, when he found himself in a sea of troubles, to float plaintively, not to take arms against it.

where he was working too hard to get into mischief and let him run loose in London with too much money and nothi

o marry an obscure and middle-aged actor named Bingley Crocker. Mrs. Pett had never seen Bingley Crocker, but she had condemned the proposed match in terms which had ended definitely and forever her rela

t. The past could look after its

ught it would have

of twenty-one nee

o come out of his s

and this sentim

said. "Every boy

There was that breach-of-promise case, and that fight at the political meeting, and his escapades at Monte Carlo, and-and ev

oaned symp

s aunt, and I suppose they will print my photog

s felt his responsibilities as chorus keenly during these wif

ough,"

d on him like a

saying that? It's no

refraining from pointing out that

t do som

er least when she was bullying Mr. Pett. There was something in Mrs. Pett's character with whic

Peter possibly d

merica and make him work. I

it pos

urse i

he do here? He couldn't get his place on the Chronicle back again after dropping out for all these year

d, don't make

These are

ered her father had always been-a little too ready for combat. She was usually as quickly remorseful as she was quickly pugnacious, like most persons of her colour. Her offer to type the story which now lay on h

boy a job in my of

e six brilliant youths living in his house and bursting with his food at that ver

llie's late father had been a great inventor, but he did not accept the fact that Willie had inherited the dead man's genius. He regarded the experiments on Partridgite, as it was to be called, with

t, delighted at the sugg

said Mr. Pett, basking in the s

to in a letter. No, the only thing is to go over to England and see her. I shall speak very plainly to he

star

an live here-

the boy all the way over from England if he wa

oughed dep

would be very plea

of goodness sho

towards

any case I'm quite certain that you won't be able to get him to come over here. You can see by the paper he's having fa

door as it closed behind

hy wouldn't it be pleasant for her if

tt hes

or girl. It all happened before you and I were married. Ann was much younger then. You know what

er! What are you t

s only

rose in sl

! Don't try to

poetry and I had it

ank back in

with relief or disappointment. "Whatever did you make

s in print and be able to give the book to her friends. She did give it to her friends," he went on ruefully, "and ever since she's been trying to live it down.

goodness, what has al

cke

of work and inspirations and what not. We never suspected it wasn't the straight goods. Why, that very evening I mailed an order for a hundred copies to be sent to me when the thing appeared. And-" pinkness came upon Mr. Pett at the recollection "it was just a josh from start to finish. The young hound made a joke of the poems and what Ann had

ot intend to alter my plans because of a trivial incide

dear," said Mr.

say. Er-jus

den, of

pasm with a powerful effort of

me." The late Mr. Ford had spent most of his married life either quarrelling with or separated from his wife, but since death he had be

ming, I'd like

hy

e sought for

e only known antidote for Ogden, but he felt it would be impolitic to say so.

to say to you, which this dreadful thing in the paper drove comp

rt. "She didn't tell me." A

d to think it over, and give him his answer later. Meanwhile, he had come t

t was f

n't acce

defin

she do

Peter. It would be

shuffled

's something too darned

ct, I agree with you. I shall do all in

hat Ann is if you try to force her to do anything. She gets her ears back and w

er. As if I should dr

do an

s fellow. Two weeks ago we did

ed to know bey

m Hammond Chester, Ann's father, whom he had met in Canada, where the latter was at present engaged in the comparatively mild occupation of bass-fishing. With their business talk the acquaintance would have begun and finished, if Mr. Pett had been able to please himself, for

uch now. However, it is entirely her own affair, and there is not

beach, who, even if he had had no faults at all, would be objectionable in that he would probably take her

ner, who had had artistic leanings, for a studio. The tap-tap-tap of the leather bag had ceased, but voices from within told her that Jerry Mitchell, Mr. Pett's private physical instructor, was still there. She wondere

s Ann entered. "I heard Biggs a

im down," said Jerr

hould she? Biggs is an a

alking about, O

s asked Celestine to go for

ock off," muttered

ughed de

if you touched him. She wouldn't sta

s obliged to rely exclusively on moral worth and charm of manner. He belonged to the old school of fighters who looked the part, and in these days of pugilists who resemble matinee idols he had the appearance of an anachronism. He was a stocky man with a round, solid head, small eyes, an undershot jaw, and a nose which ill-treatment had reduced to a mere scenario. A narrow strip of forehead acted as a kind of buffer-state, separating his front

ue in characteristic

Ogden,"

been able to understand, but it was a fact that she was the only person of his acquaintance wh

tered. "You'r

ick, O

ig idea-order

ently behind you," sa

the order

n bothering

ell wiped h

when I'm working in the gym-You heard wh

, a name which Mrs. Pett stoutly refus

g it all up. He spends his whole time wandering about till he finds some one he can tormen

l sighed a si

llow to have you in

ooked down the passage, then, satisfied a

ou. I have an idea. Somethi

Miss

not going to have it. I warned him once that, if he did it again, awful things would happen to h

n Smithers,

Smithers or Smethurs

an you ca

. I've known him s

to send Ogden to him for treatment, and I w

e love

ing admiration. He had always known that Miss Ann possessed a mind of no common order, but

you're going to ki

ou are-if I can persuad

send him to Bud Smit

rs' methods. I think they would d

as enth

But, say, isn't it taking big chances

that sort of

's mighty

t it isn't that one. You run the risk of losing your job here, and I should certainly be sent to my grandmother for an indefinite sentence. You've never seen my grandmother, have you, Jerry? She's the only person in the world I'm afraid of! She lives miles from anywhere and has

d extended a

do we

k the ha

I don't think we can do anything till they come back fro

oing to

ust now of sailing to try and persuade a y

my Crocker? P

, do you

he Chronicle here. Looks as if he was cutting a wide s

ver. Of course, there isn't the remotest chance that

o, when I went over to train Eddie Flynn for his go with Porky Jones at t

s drinking,

used to be a regular fellow, Jimmy Crocker, but from what you read in the papers it begins to look as if he was hitting it up too swift.

Ogden. If he's allowed to go on as he is at pre

in't in Ogden's clas

absolutely no diffe

you, Miss Ann?" Jerry looked at her wond

about Ogden, Jerry. I knew I could rely on you. But I won't let you do it for nothing. Uncle Peter shall give you something

e boss in o

tell him now. Hush! T

in. He was still

g, Mitchell-your aun

want you to

o help intervie

l be such a help with Ogden, Ann. You can keep him in order. Ho

encouraging grin. Ann was constrained to make he

lf a moment, Jerry?" she said winningly.

e. S

Mr. Pett as th

ke Ogden a different boy,

it was p

lot lately, hasn't he?"

sighed

y. "I was afraid that you might not appr

es by the superior will of his boyhood's hero, Hammond Chester. In the boyhood of nearly every man there is a single outstanding figure, some one youthful hypnotic Napoleon whose will was law and at whose bidding his better judgment curled up and died. In Mr. Pett's life Ann's father had filled this role. He had dominated Mr. Pett at an age when the mind is most malleable. And now-so true is it that though Time may blunt our boyish memories the traditions of boyhood live on in us and an emotional crisis will bring them to the surface as

away to that friend of his I told you about who keeps the dog-hospital: and the

rightfulness of reality

t,

to complete the terror of the moment, he knew, even while he rebelled against the insane lawlessness of her scheme, that he was going to agree to it,

ut I promised him that you would give him something for

n! . . . Suppose your au

lendid thing for you. You know you are much too kind to every one, uncle Peter. I don't think there's any one who w

es risen up from its grave to haunt him. Patient Pete! He had thought the repulsive title buried forever in the same

ent P

e!" said Ann

thos in Mr. Pett's voice

ht. You do let every one trample on you. Do you think father would let Ogden worry him and have h

father contradict a man weighing two hundred pounds out of sheer exube

or later. You're going to turn all these loafers out of the house. And

s a long

f a man who has been solving a problem. "It's your red hair t

laug

I have red hair, uncle P

shook h

s misfortune,