The Coming of Bill

ndly. He had perfect health, anincome more than sufficient for his needs, a profession whichinterested without

some men. Kirk did not objectto it in the least. He had enough money to meet their needs, and, beinga socia

ing hiswhisky, smoking his cigarettes, borrowing his money, and, on occasion,his spare bedrooms and his pyjamas, he never showed it. He was fully aspleasant to Percy Shanklyn, the elegant, perpetually re

entirely in the present. The passage of time lefthim untouched. Day followed day, week

ould produce one of hisexcellent breakfasts. The next mile-stone would be the arrival of SteveDingle. Five brisk round

eorge with one of hiscelebrated dinners. And then began the incursion of his friends. One byone they would drop in,

en in love, and he had cometo imagine that he was incapable of anything except a mild liking forwomen. He considered himself immune, and was secretly glad of it. Heenjoyed his go-as-

the idea of marriage crossed hismind he thrust it from him with a kind of shuddering horror. He couldnot pi

rdine, for instance. To Kirk, the great point about Hank was that hehad been everywhere, seen everything, and was, when properly stimulate

uld be expected

friend; he did not belon

ed to him, and Kirk, loving Hanklike a br

tout the question of marriage in all its aspects, and decided against

sentry into his life, Kirk sat in the studio, feeling, for the firstt

compulsory retirement of George Pennicut, hadmade him thoroughly uncomfortable. With dis

Fatted ease is good for no one. It sucks thesoul out of a man. Kirk, as he sat smoking in th

the doctor gave him acouple of days before complete recovery--that it had not seemed worthwhile to Kirk to engage a substitute. It was simpler to go out for hismeals and make his own bed

ll on his energies would appear to have found him unprepared. Itspoiled his whole day, knowing, when he got out of bed in the morning,that

baths, his exercises, his bouts with Steve Dingle. To-day he feltless confidence. For all his baths and boxing, the fact remained thathe had b

her own. To Kirk, brooding in the dusk, the figure ofthe abstract wife seemed to grow

d becomemore and more of a bore as the years went on, unless he h

e entirely due to theknowledge that, instead of sitting comfortably at home, he would becompelled in a few short

ood was at its blackest, and the figure ofthe abstract wife had ceased to be a menace and become a sh

e had no use for friends. When hefound himself confronting Mrs. Porter he became momentarily incapableof speec

Porter. "I have come toinquire after the m

r."And Kirk perceived for the first

standing. He stood aside to letMrs. Po

he went all topieces, as if he had received a violent blow. Curious physical changeswere taking place in him. His legs, whic

se. His lungs, too, were in poor condition; he found itpractically impossible to breath

aped a

isely the same sensation of smallness which had come toMrs. Porter on her first meeting

in acity of beautiful women, and it was rarely that she permitted herknowledge of that fact to escape her. Her beauty, to her, was a

ed to exist. She was stagger

int of time, this riotou

ly that Kirk, busy with his own

had suddenly becomecharged with ozone and electricity, and for some reason he felt capableof great feats of muscle and

better to-day

bad," said Mrs.

t. He is hopelessly weak-minded."Rut

orge!" she

own fault. For years he has allowed himself tobecome gross and flabby, with the result th

rk, "would scarcely havefelt it. But then you,

e become a habit likedram-drinking. I would leave them off if I could, but I can't.""Do nothing of the kind. They are invaluable.""But undignified.""Let me feel your biceps, Mr. Winfield," said Mrs. Porter. She

s extraordinarilymuscular.""I say, really!" protested Kirk. He was a modest young man, and thisexplor

hould be proud of it.""Wouldn't you like to go up and see George?" asked Kirk.

himgood. It is called 'Elementary Rules for the Preservation of theBod

peless. Ruth, let Mr. Winfield show you hispictures. They are poor in many respects, but not entirely withoutmerit."Ruth, meanwhile, had been sitting on the couch, listening to theconversation without really

ke faintly heard thunder. Somebody passed the window,whistling. A barrier se

onderfully happy in a pla

t of her meditations, of eyeswatching he

as conscious of a little thrill of annoyance at the thought ofall the tiresome f

had found his woman, thewoman her man. Nature had settled the whole affair in an instant. Andnow civilization, pr

nd would have ignored it. But she knewmen, and especially, at that moment as their eyes met, she knew Kirk;and she understood that to him the road was a thing that c

hrough the solemn comedy ofproving to her, by the exhibition of his virtues and the carefulsuppression of his defec

ng on a new suit of cloth

s silly and tiresom

your pictures, Mr. W

m. I'm afraid they're pretty bad."

urney ha