The Unspeakable Perk

truth. Neither do they, without extraneous impulsion, go hurtling through the air along deserted mountain-sides, to find a resting-place

tleyas describe a parabola and finally join two previous clusters upon the spines of a prickly-pear patch

gentlemen should control their l

a fervid and sta

d the visitor. "Are these the col

to your bet," compla

lay fair, and pay fair. He

alf an ho

Four-thirty w

is three min

es that I've been sitting

Oh, Miss

ster. I'm a voice

than one minute. A voice isn't a voice u

ment," she admitted. "But why di

look for

t tires my poor little brain.

u up for payment of the bet, wouldn't

acuna. The senor shou

other time,"

the country then. By the way, is it a local custom for hermits of science to clim

?" he queried in a sl

e could I be?" she

to pretend that our fairy ta

etles, but I can't see you chasing fa

se them, they vanish.

it for a fairy queen. I have

more than they deserve.

ones wither on that prickly plant down there? Think how much better the

helter, looking not unlike some bulky protrusive-eyed insect, secured the orchids, an

punzel, let do

hing of fairies and f

d years ago that I read my Grimm. In t

ilken tresses. I brought a string thi

y thought so that it can't fly

nd I'm so glad that y

tte

han the day be

fore ye

ious waiting hath bemused his

right the day b

culinity in distress. You let bashfulness like a worm i' th' bud prey upon your damask cheek. Have y

he assured her, step

. "How brown you are! How long di

ths. Not on this island, you

en I've seen come back from the hot countries, a

ldn't I b

they, when they live off all alone by themselves?

e sort," he de

ugh we did dress up for him, and we're looking awfully nice-for a voice,

You're making fun of me. Well, I don't

eyond the p

kept a pol

one of th

ving

aving

at a noble fini

'Biographica

iograp

. By

beyond the

out of that silence came a short laugh. "I suppose I AM beyond the pale of law, now tha

onfession with sore misgivings

an away from the t

came into my mind an important engagement that I'd forgotten. My memory isn't what

r in hand

I knew that he was much better at that sort of thing than I. May I go back now and sit down?" "Of course. I don't kno

e came up out of the shadow, full of judic

oman who has

etent hands t

understand you at all. Fitzhugh is right

aditions. Rusty in the joints and all that sort of thing. Life isn't a process of machiner

Suppose a man struck you.

It would

believe that men should be ready to

rs, for instance.

on of pay in your mind? Wouldn't

l until the oc

you a

ose I m

cried his inquisitor, exasperated. "Hav

mper any time. It might easily happen to me and drive me to make a fool of

Well, I much prefer him and his hot-he

atiently. "Any girl would. I

t little things like patriotism and heroism, does it? Tell me, have yo

one my bit of hero worship in my time. In

. You're growing more

now anything about

merican War grew a crop of newspaper-made heroes, manufactured by reporters

out. I'm speaking of Walter Reed and his fellow scien

l's lip

oism! Scrubby peckers into

test idea what you

such an edge as she had faintly heard on the previous nigh

haven't," s

not be true. There wasn't a day or a night that their lives weren't at stake. Carroll let himself be bitten by infected mosquitoes on a final test, and grazed death by a hair's breadth. Lazear was bitten at his work, and died in the agony of

girl. "I-I'm asha

life. Nobody knows about Walter Reed and James Carroll and Jesse Lazear-not even the American Government, which they offic

ause, which she br

Beetl

, Vo

ink you rather more ma

hed me on a point of fan

eyes lowered obstinately. "You don't seem changed to outward view. You still remind me," with a ripple

e sun out o

I suppose. They're not f

kes you say that?"

ey certainly give your face a truly weird exp

my figure," he suggested optimistic

ll in a chunk. It does look like a

ke it?" he as

ts kind." She lifted

stubby a

didn't m

adapted, though. Examination's over. Wait. Do

musi

musical

sidering you

Look up here. Do," she pleaded. "T

e thine the s

dle-dee

ne brief fleeting

ed positively.

eatures, I thank you humbly. Did

et what you look like. Your kin

is bus

old you? I'm

e supposed to do, shows any greater variation from type-I heard a man say that in a lecture on

all about that. Bu

aid, in a tremulous voi

t might be a touch of eart

. The tarantul

dred tarantulas

lonely. Oh, please, Professor Scarab, have I got to fall on your neck

der's still lame. Wha

out you and your w

hat's the reason for these glasses. The light is so harsh in these latitudes

scope add charm

like. Just now it's the flea,

icked

d until he has studied

ey say there's plague in the city now. You knew all ab

n listening

's a

of the facts whispers confidentially in your ear with the ass

gue down under those quai

nder those quaint, old, red-tiled

ry, little as I've seen of

the speech is Spanish; but just beneath roof and speech, th

unans, surely. Take Mr.

anywhere than the well-bred Caracunans. They are men of the world, European educated, good sportsmen, straight,

a good deal of what goes on. By the way, Mr

. Rather serious

t. He was v

't fair to play the game with one who doesn't know

erson, you certainly tak

Besides, you set the note of intimacy when you analyzed my personal

urned maliciously. "

lau

bit jealous. It woul

r tradition in whic

ll?" she sighed. "After taking al

hough not loudly. Some large fruit pod bursting

?" asked the g

was a revolver s

Do revolver shots

means indicated an inner cataclysm. "It may mean that

isappeared to the left. When she next heard

here's no hurry.

t fl

g in my

e your home

e on the cliff that

come up a

rd a climb. Besides, there a

a shot, you go up t

my teleph

t the ot

ends to look after

a house fit to live in

's all I've got in

the house

r. Seven by tr

it lo

es

ere was such a quiet, conclusive accepta

must you

or an hour

be an important one, so

t you ever have calls

swer

called. "Oh, Voice

no res

by a peep about the angle commanding her point of the rock that she had, indeed, van

account," said Miss Polly Brewster, wit

-I mean-I-I-beg y

ved, with malicious glee. "Did the bold, bad, forward

u start

surprise. "Who would have supposed it?

he got a re

he said; "so

pretend that you

I knew you'd come if-if-if I preten

y deceiver. Is it because you have known me in some former exi

wouldn't stay up t

be if it weren't that you really didn't mean it when yo

our face once without w

"Marvelous improvement under my tutelage

g as I don't think, I'm all right. No

l topic, then, that won't embarrass you. What do you

sn't a parched land.

ther angle, where, hidden in a growth of shru

outdoor l

here's an elfkin, anyway," she added, as a silvered dragon-fly hovere

his methods of aviation with a view to making s

inventor, too? I'm c

said, now quite at his ease. "You know tha

places,

s fever, and other epidemic illness. Now, the mos

the girl, in some puzzle

ral enemy of the mosquito is the dragon-fly, one of which just paid you a visit. Now, modern warf

aid the girl

gonfly in sufficient numbers, we might so

ience," she began, "but I s

dreamily. "Now, the pigeon is, of course, a Zeppelin; whereas the se

me!" she accused, wi

e to me ever since we m

y! I shall go

PLOP! set a peri

I," said h

mean hurry up?" sh

wanted. You go first. W

at

u mean

t permit people to make fun of me. Besides, you must

don't

rai

the

and conquer this cowardic

don't t

manner of royal commands, thus casually received. Had the offender been any other of her acquaintance, she would have dropped t

" she

thing more imp

type sadly. What is i

or

work an

I have to eat and

she accepted q

t? I'm quite conscience-stricken o

all. You've c

you won't come to the

ll. When I

won't find

I'll

laughed, "until your

a lithe animal. At the top, the spirit of roguery, ever

of science!"

el

you s

from

. So don't be timid. Wil

undred already. On

ever bee

ha

nly enough? Have-yo

a wo

a woman, of course. I don't

N

olent. Have you ever bee

rha

ed. "There are no perhap

ld is in love with once in his

of the rock, gazing out over the hot blue Caribbean, his hat pushed back and his absurd goggles

ommanded. "What is every man i

id

ere do you keep it saf

art-with a single hai

ain, "Oh," just a little blankly. "I wish I hadn't asked

reckless experimental

mind, you know," she warned. "Su

" said he

s regrets sens

your career is safe from

out into

le Man,"

h her chin cupped in her han

ance," she said suddenly. "That

comment. "I'm glad you like me

have a sort of respectful curiosity about you. What lies under th

his hand, and disappeared. Below, she watched the motion of the bush-tops where