ve been approached by Tetham with reference to sending
an American ambassador to the Vatican. Mr. Ames favors this.'"

Haynerd handed the letter back to Hitt and plunged into the papers on
his desk. "Don't say another word to me!" he exclaimed. "This
country's going stark, staring mad! We're crazy, every mother's son of
us!"

"It's the human mind that is crazy, Ned, because it is wholly without
any basis of principle," returned Hitt with a sigh.

* * * * *

"Doctor Siler! I beg your pardon!"

"Eh? Why, Miss Carmen!" exclaimed that worthy person, looking up from
the gutter, whither he had hastened after his silk hat which had been
knocked off by the encounter with the young girl who had rounded the
corner of Ninth street into Pennsylvania avenue and plunged full into
him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Doctor! I was coming from the Smithsonian
Institution, and I guess--"

"Don't mention it, Miss Carmen. It's a privilege to have my hat
knocked off by such a radiant creature as you."

"But it was so stupid of me! Dreaming again! And I want to offer
my--"

"Look here, Miss Carmen, just offer yourself as my guest at luncheon,
will you? That will not only make amends, but place me hopelessly in
your debt."

"Indeed I will!" exclaimed the girl heartily. "I was on my way to a
restaurant."

"Then come with me. I've got a little place around the corner here
that would have made Epicurus sit up nights inditing odes to it."

The girl laughed merrily, and slipped her arm through his. A few
minutes later they were seated at a little table in a secluded corner
of the doctor's favorite chophouse.

"By the way, I met a friend of yours a few minutes ago," announced the
doctor, after they had given their orders. "He was coming out of the
White House, and--were you ever in a miniature cyclone? Well, that was
Ames! He blew me right off the sidewalk! So angry, he didn't see me.
That's twice to-day I've been sent to the gutter!" He laughed heartily
over his experiences, then added significantly: "You and he are both
mental cyclones, but producing diametrically opposite effects."

Carmen remained seriously thoughtful. The doctor went on chatting
volubly. "Ames and the President don't seem to be pulling together
as well as usual. The President has come out squarely against him
now in the matter of the cotton schedule. Ames declares that the
result will be a general financial panic this fall. B