Mr. Feuer--Carl! Everything depends on it."

"I can not tolerate this coarse hand between me and the woman I love.
No more deception! Carl Feuerstein"--how he did roll out that
name!--"can guard his own honor and his own destiny."

The door into the private hall opened and in came Brauner and his wife,
fine pictures of homely content triumphing over the discomforts of
Sunday clothes. They looked at Mr. Feuerstein with candidly
questioning surprise. Avenue A is not afraid to look, and speak, its
mind. Otto came forward. "This is Mr. Feuerstein," he said.

At once Brauner showed that he was satisfied, and Mrs. Brauner beamed.
"Oh, a friend of yours," Brauner said, extending his hand. "Glad to
see any friend of Otto's."

Mr. Feuerstein advanced impressively and bowed first over Brauner's
hand, then over Mrs. Brauner's. "I am not a friend of this--young
man," he said with the dignity of a Hoheit. "I have come here to
propose for the honor of your daughter's hand in marriage."

Mr. Feuerstein noted the stupefied expression of the delicatessen
dealer and his wife, and glanced from Otto to Hilda with a triumphant
smile. But Hilda was under no delusion. She shivered and moved nearer
to Otto. She felt that he was her hope in this crisis which the mad
love of her hero-lover had forced. Brauner was the more angry because
he had been thus taken by surprise.

"What nonsense is this?" he growled, shaking his head violently. "My
daughter is engaged to a plain man like ourselves."

At this Heilig came forward again, pale and sad, but calm. "No, Mr.
Brauner--she is not engaged. I'm sure she loves this gentleman, and I
want her to be happy. I can not be anything to her but her friend.
And I want you to give him a chance to show himself worthy of her."

Brauner burst out furiously at Hilda. The very presence of this gaudy,
useless-looking creature under his roof was an insult to his three gods
of honor and happiness--his "Arbeit und Liebe und Heim."

"What does this mean?" he shouted.

"Where did you find this crazy fellow? Who brought him here?"

Hilda flared. "I love him, father! He's a noble, good man. I shall
always love him. Listen to Otto--it'll break my heart if you frown on
my marrying the man I love." There was a touch of Mr. Feuerstein in
her words and tone.

"Let's have our game, Mr. Brauner," interrupted Otto. "All this can be
settled afterward. Why spoil our afternoon?"

Brauner examin