The Ne'er-Do-Well

ng process of dull, dreamy speculation. He never knew the precise moment when his eyes opened and sleep left him, but at cost

dings and had been forced to wait upon his lagging memory; but this time his mind refused to w

he trouble at that point, you tried to get into Tony's rathskeller and couldn't, so you started for the East Side. Ringold was very drunk. Good! Everything is clear so far. Next y

call nothing beyond the piano, so fell

elf suddenly, and was half out of bed when he fell back, with a cry, as if an unseen hand had smitten him. He clapped both palms to his head, realizing that he was very sick indeed. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever felt before. His head was splitting, he felt a frightful nausea, the whole room was rocking and reeling as if to pitch him

ou rin

you more than one be

sorry

mighty sick. I'

ir; the others

some consolation to know that Ringold and Higgins had not es

he gentleman i

t Hig's description, however-even you co

ir-a little champagne, perh

a taxicab. I wan

ve, isn't it?" sni

! Are you the clerk?" Instead of the bell-hop he had exp

I'm the

intly. "Funny place I've got

! The SAN

didn't they give me a go

ery good, sir. It is one

e dump. Well, I'm going to get out-understand?

, but a blind search showe

ed to apologize. "Sorry, old man, but I must have left it at the office. Now

had better ha

a good o

s,

in the

occupant of Suite A as a humorist or a lunatic,

-t-more like a roadho

d stared at the white-clad figure o

s a shi

ome missile to hurl at this insolent menial, and, spying a heavy glass pitcher upon

r. I will send th

Anthony, dazedly, as he once more laid

ous. In spite of these distractions he began to note certain unfamiliar features about this place. The wall-paper, for instance, which at first glance he had taken for the work of some cheap decorator, turned out to be tapestry, as he proved by extending a shaky hand. The low ceiling, the little windows with wooden blinds, the furnitu

but at other times the whole room made a complete revolution, which was manifestly contrary to the law of gravitation and therefore not to be trusted as evidence. There were plenty of reasons, moreover, why this could not be a ship. The mere supposition was absurd. No, this must be a room in some up-town club, or perhaps

aid you wanted

want a

the do

the elevator man.

you v

Anybody ca

, seated himself beside the be

ave a

his eyes once more, for the doctor had begun to revolve slowly

laid out. It's

be nearly daylig

is not mi

until-" Anthony raised himself sudden

rtainly

room is

take one of these capsules;

ettle my bill if I've been her

said the doctor. "People have

went through my clothes just now and I'm all in. I must get back to

pulse," said the

I'm lost. I never did

nk you are?" inqu

It's a nice lit

a hotel. Thi

r a moment. Then he s

un of a man at the point of d

ndred and fifty miles out of New York. The first officer told me you were considerably intoxicated when you came aboard, but

id you

en't forgotten

ai

hot hands and strove to collect his whirling wits. At

t I stayed in New York; understand? Well, he's the fellow you're talking to and I'm asleep somewhere down around the Bowery. I'm not

ou. What is more, you have not exchanged identities with your friend Anthony, for your ticket reads 'Jeff

s or Ringol

aboard by either

s forced to lie down again without delay. "If this is a sh

ing. They put you in here, gave your ticket to the purser, and went ashore. The sl

just for the sake of argument, that this is a ship a

e w

ed wide with horror. "I

ill ha

day and it's standing in front of the New York Theatre. Yes, and I

have been drinking pretty heavily, but I g

the bewildered invalid. "What shi

pany. This is one of the bridal suites; it is 11

e is

nam

America or Mexico or

o you remember

a t

eep. You'll be all ri

ck

tho

ou prefer. Is there anything

N

medical man observed, doubtfully, as he opened the

inning to remember now. You see, I lost my hat and deci

at capsule will

urns out that I AM in New York, after all, when I wake up I

d went on deck. The shock he had received on the evening before was as nothing to what he felt now upon stepping out into the light of day. In spite of his growing convictio

ldered eyes; he touched the rail with his hands to verify his vision. The strangeness of it was uncanny. He felt as if he were walking in his sleep. He re

reality of his surroundings soon brought him back more nearly to a normal state of mind, he felt an ever-present expectancy of some new shock, some new and abrupt transition that might yet bring him bac

ce. Although Anthony was a youth of few responsibilities, he awoke suddenly to the fact that there were a thousand things that needed doing, a thousand people who needed to know

r had come just in the nick of time. Suddenly he recalled placing the check in his bill-case, and he searched himself diligently, but found nothing. That reminded him that he had won a bet or two on the football game and the money needed collecting. There was the shooting trip to

e ship in desperation, then

g ago?" A glance at the rigging showed him that the Santa Cruz was equippe

y!" he cried, excitedly; but the "w

sorry

ll pay you anything!" Kirk rammed a ha

operator. "The old apparatus wasn't satisf

an't send a mes

ng until the

ally decided in some foolish, drunken whim to take a trip to Central America? He hardly knew what to think or where to begin his reasoning. He recollected that Jefferson Locke had not impressed him very favorably at the start, and that his behavior upon the appearance of the plain-clothes man had not improved that first impression. It seemed certain that he must have had his hand in this affair, else how would Anthony now find himself in possession of his ticket?