of a book this
morning; a book I used to see back in the public library at home. It
wasn't one I ever read. Maybe Tessie Kearns read it. Anyway, she had a
poem she likes a lot written by the same man. She used to read me good
parts of it. But I never read the book because the title sounded kind of
wild, like there couldn't be any such thing. The poem had just a plain
name; it was called 'Lucile,' but the book by the same man was called
'The Tragic Comedians.' You wouldn't think there could be a tragic
comedian would you?--well, look at me."

She looked at him, with that elusive, remote flickering back in her
eyes, but she only said, "Be sure and come take me out to dinner.
To-night I can eat. And don't forget your overcoat. And listen--don't
you dare go into Himebaugh's till I can go with you."

One minute after he had gone the Montague girl was at the telephone.

"Hello! Mr. Baird, please. Is this Mr. Baird? Well, Jeff, everything's
jake. Yeah. The poor thing was pretty wild when he got here. First he
began to bluff. He'd got an earful from someone, probably over on the
lot. And he put it over on me for a minute, too. But he didn't last
good. He was awful broke up when the end came. Bless his heart. But you
bet I kissed the hurt place and made it well. How about him now? Jeff,
I'm darned if I can tell except he's right again. When he got here he
was some heart-broke and some mad and some set up on account of things
he hears about himself. I guess he's that way still, except I mended
the heart-break. I can't quite make him out--he's like a book where you
can't guess what's coming in the next chapter, so you keep on reading.
I can see we ain't ever going to talk much about it--not if we live
together twenty years. What's that? Yeah. Didn't I tell you he was
always getting me, somehow? Well, now I'm got. Yeah. We're gonna do an
altar walk. What? Oh, right away. Say, honest, Jeff, I'll never have
an easy minute again while he's out of my sight. Helpless! You said it.
Thanks, Jeff. I know that, old man. Good-by!"

CHAPTER XX. ONWARD AND UPWARD

At the first showing of the Buckeye company's new five-reel comedy--Five
Reels-500 Laughs--entitled Brewing Trouble, two important members of
its cast occupied balcony seats and one of them throughout the piece
brazenly applauded the screen art of her husband. "I don't care who sees
me," she would reply ever and again to his whispered protests.

The new piece proved to