The Coming of Bill
Opposi
ailey in. She said that Mrs. Porter was busy with her wri
reposterous woman wished to write! It was the duty of all decent citizens to stop her writing. If it had not
ell her that I must see her at once on a
up against Bailey's grand manner. The maid vanished meekly wit
oudoir. Books lined the walls. The furniture was strong and plain. At the window, on
, ma'am," anno
nt, without looking rou
at down. The gentle squeak
y cou
lled this
rose and waggled itself irri
" spoke Bai
and nothing more. Bailey, outraged, rel
ceeded by the sound of paper vigorously blotted. Then, with startling suddennes
ailey?"
Her eyes had the curious effect of driving
she sa
cellent opening speech whic
ve not come here and ruined my morning's work for t
found h
e Ruth, who, I am in
made her breakfast in b
give
bered the speech he h
y an hour, but it is imperative that I see Ruth and ask her to explain t
not appear to
ould weigh more," she sa
; beside t
ds, and it ought to be over a hundred and sixt
t Lo
el
to see m
it. What did you wis
I will tell you, for I believe you to
el
ut that Ruth has for some time been pay
orter
rk Winfield. She is
. His mouth opened widely. His glasses shot from h
ha
table match in every w
unded to
shouted. "It's ridic
's incr
the same amount of interest which she would have
seen Mr. Winfi
ill have reason
t d
y sat
to his intelligence, I say nothing. I have ceased to expect intelligence in man, and I am grateful fo
ether with a supreme effort a
of course, out of t
hy
t marry a-a nobo
body. He is an extraordin
, if she had wished, cou
ad far too much sense to do any such thing. She has a co
ied Baile
ost men, you care nothing for the future of
th fury at the wor
elementary a subject as the colour
the Andalusian fowl w
h drivel," he said, rising. "
e is," said
She looked, to Bailey, insufferabl
little Bailey here, when he ought to be
" Bailey's demean
uth. "You have been sti
t L
y cou
ut
t know how terrible you
Lora informs me that you are going to marry
rse it'
eath. He gazed coldly
moothed the n
w call upon this Mr. Winfield and thrash
ed up Kirk's address in the telephone-book, an
e opened the door. To George, nowadays, every ring at
field at home?"
Who shall I
ld that Mr. Bannister w
ll you step t
tepped t
*
Kirk, in boxing trunks and a sleeveless vest, was eng
y rested, at the conclusion of their fifth and final round,
across a new brand of simp this morning. Just before I came to you I'm scheduled to show up at one of these Astorb
he throws out a line of talk that would make you wonder if it's safe to let him run around loose. Says his mind's made up;
you think happens then? He thinks hard for a spell, rolls his eyes, and says:
ig I'd phone to an alienist and have myself measured for a stra
d and lit a
up there now. I shan't be ready yet awhile. Then, if this is one of
he bathroom, which, like the bedrooms, opened on to the gallery. Kirk threw hi
nnounced George Pe
nd is far away, between "Mr. Bannister" and "Miss Bannister" is not
ho advanced upon him in a tight-lipped, pop-eyed manner that suggested dislike and hostility. The visitor was a complete
never speculated on any possible family that might be attached to her. To him Ruth was Ruth. He accepted the fact that she was Mrs. Porter's niece. That she might also be somebody's
ively before him, was conscious of a weakening of his determination to inflict bodily chastisement. The truth of Steve's remark
cle for a man intending assault and battery. Bailey decided to confine himself to words. The
Winfi
Banni
s below halted him, and the sound of Bailey's decided him to remain where he was. Steve was no
ar to you. My sister," said Ba
sit down?
ill not detain you
re's no hurry. Will
thank
's manner. So, unseen in the sh
to say in two words, Mr
is quite out of
E
as happened he will forbid it absolutely. Kindly dismiss from your mind entir
with difficulty suppres
ughed r
, Mr. Bannister? Aren't you ta
what
r me, for instance; that I've one chance in a million
futile attempt to hide the kn
tartly. "I know everything. I have just seen my sister, and she
he found his hand
how it is. A fellow falls in love and instantly starts thinking he hasn't a chance on earth. I hadn't a notion she felt that way about me.
ss. Make yourself at home here. Have you breakfasted? George! George! Say, George, I've got to rush away. See that Mr. Bannister ha
case. George Pennicut t
il
cup of hot tea and a rasher of 'am,
m glassily, th
rode to the door and shot into
part, was star
id. "Very good, s
ing for the bathroom in order not to collide with Steve, whom he found waiting fo
rama you've just been starring in. I just couldn't help listening. Say, this mitt's for you. Shake
know her
for every time I've thrown the medicine-ball at her. Why, I'm the guy that gave her that figure of hers.
hook h
y, and vanished into the bathroom. A soun
pon the door. Th
calle
el
o discourage yo
ed and Kirk's
s the
heard what
his f
. It
he gallery, towellin
" he asked, seating
hn D. pretty nearly and about as chummy as a rattlesnake. Were
of the sort
ok before you'd got through aski
. They call you Little Su
ant to make you see this ain't going to be no society walk-over, with the Four Hundred looking on from
ly to the ca
what to t
at's what is interesting me most just now, and, if you're going to
it when you pull something that's got
arab
pped in front of me as if he was wondering what had blown in and whether the Gerry Society would stand for his hitting it. I could see him thinking 'This is too easy' as plain as if he'd said it. And then he took another peek at me, as much as to say, 'Well, let's get it over. Where shall I so
the m
nch! Don't wait for
u m
ll never marry my child!' come back at him by sa
eavens,
else. You don't know o
ut
or-bel
said Kirk. "It can't
t," spoke the clear vo
ish to see M
He's upstairs
ait in th
n the rail. "For Heaven's sake, Steve, go and tal
hat's he
rn, how much you are round the chest, what's your favourite breakfast food.
rs. Porter examining the boxing-glo
he said genially, by
in a moment. He's ge
et stare which made her so intensely di
nd of Mr. Winfi
gether up above. He sent me dow
concluded he
is you
le, m
veloped. You have unusually long
a pretty g
ou an
whi
ist. A
miled b
d many things, but no o
, I'm a h
your
ant
u were?" asked Mrs.
ther kicked, and I quit. All through takin
t you intend to
ay be a rough-neck, but I've got me manne
rter sa
rposes," she said. "I still do not g
ling you? I used
is a m
s and the welters. I was a welter when
tand. You are
e. But mot
ked
e threw a scare into her, and she put a crimp in my career. Made m
ic troubles of yours. And why do you spea
y she seen me blue eye she said: 'That'll be all from you, Steve. You stop it this minute.' So I quit. But gee! It's tough on a fellow to have to sit out of the game and watch a bunch of ch
aid Mrs. Porter thoughtfully. "I have never met
me go five round
s you can tell me if an absurd young man in eye-gl
iley, ma'am. Ba
y nephew, M
with him ev
ley did anything so sensible as to take regu
rtion, ma'am. But say, if he's you
ctly c
w all about t
siness, M
rk and M
r raised h
Has Mr. Winfield ma
's t
told you about my
n like Kirk shooting his head about th
m Ba
ew in here and shouted it all
apartment saying he was going to thrash Mr. Winfield. I cam
n he'd taken a slant at Kirk he thought he
el
are you in f
underst
irk, or are you holding the
ish Mr. Winfield
're
o. It was I who bro
rk upstairs. I been-you didn't happen to read the report of a sc
r, read the sporting sect
at her in h
n you're up against it. Get in the first wallop before the other guy can get himself set for his punch. 'Kirk,' I says, 'don't you wait for old man Bannister to tell you you can't marry Miss Ruth. Marry her before h
such sound sense in a man. You have expressed my view exactly. If I have any influence with Mr. Win
a roughneck. But I fall for Miss Ruth, and there ain't many like Kirk, so I'd like to see t
ter, "but I fancy we mean the same thing. Here come
m," said Steve. "
ered the