er away and with much
effort and straining tacked it in an appropriate place.

"Why, that is better," said the Tennessee Shad admiringly, regaining
his chair, not too openly. "Much better. Looks fine! Great! Say, I've
got an idea. Stick the ballet girl under it."

"What?"

"You're crazy!"

"Well, where would you put it?"

"Here, you chump."

"Why, that's not half bad, either," said the Tennessee Shad, once more
back among the cushions. "A trifle more to the left, down--now
up--good--make fast. First rate; guess you have the best eye. Now
where are you going to put this?"

By this process of self-debasement and generous exterior admiration
the Tennessee Shad successfully perceived the heavy hanging and
arranging brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

The vital touches were given, the transom was hung with heavy black
canvas; a curtain of the same was so arranged as to permit its being
drawn over the telltale cracks of the door. Dennis and Stover, sent to
reconnoiter from the hall, waited while the Tennessee Shad passed a
lighted candle back and forth over the sealed entrance. One traitor
crack was discovered and promptly obliterated.

"Now we're secure," said the Tennessee Shad. "Cave of Silence and all
that sort of thing. The Old Roman would have to smell us to get on."

"How about the windows?" said Dink.

"They're a cinch," said the Shad. "When you get the shade down and the
shutters closed a blanket will fix them snug as a bug in a rug. Now,
at nine o'clock we can go to bed without suffering from drafts. Ha,
ha--joke."

"Burn the midnight oil, etceteray--etcetera."

"To-morrow," said the Tennessee Shad, "Volts Mashon is going to
install a safety light for us."

"Elucidate," said Dink.

"A safety light is a light that has a connection with the door. Shut
door, light; open door, where is Moses? Midnight reading made a
pleasure."

"Marvelous!"

"Oh, I've heard of that before," said Finnegan.

The Tennessee Shad, meanwhile, had been busy stretching a string from
his bed to the hot-air register and from a stick at the foot of his
bed to a pulley at the top.

Stover and Finnegan waited respectfully until the Shad, having
finished his operations, deigned to give a practical exhibition.

"This thing is simple," said he, stretching out on his bed and pulling
a string at one side. "Opens hot-air register. No applause necessary.
But this is a little, comforting idea of my own. Protection from
sudden