"

"Who'd have believed it!"

Meanwhile, Dink, returning to his room laden with the spoils of the
house, proceeded to adorn himself on the principle of selection,
discarding the Gutter Pup's trousers for the gala breeches of the
Tennessee Shad, donning the braided cutaway of Lovely Mead's in
preference to an affair of Slush Randolph's which was too tight in the
chest.

The Tennessee Shad, the Gutter Pup and Dennis de Brian de Boru watched
the proceedings, brownie fashion, across the transom, volunteering
advice.

"Why, look at Dink wash!"

"It's a regular annual, isn't it?"

"Look out for my pants!"

"I say, Dink, your theory's wrong. You want to begin by parting your
hair--soak it into place, you know."

Stover, struck by this expert advice, approached the mirror and seized
his comb and brush with determination. But the liberties of a
rebellious people, unmolested for sixteen years, were not to be
suddenly abolished. The more he brushed the more the indignant locks
rose up in revolt. He broke the comb and threw it down angrily.

"Wet your hair," said the Tennessee Shad.

"Soak it in water," said the Gutter Pup.

"Soak it in witch-hazel," said Dennis. "It will make it more
fragrant."

Dink hesitated:

"Won't it smell too much?"

"Naw. It evaporates."

Stover seized the bottle and inundated his head, made an exact part in
the middle and drew the sides back in the fashion of pigeon wings.

"Now clap on a dicer," said the Gutter Pup approvingly, "and she'll
come up and feed from your hand."

"Are you really in love?" said Dennis softly.

Stover, ignoring all comments, tied a white satin four-in-hand with
forget-me-not embossings, which had struck his fancy in Fatty Harris'
room, and inserted a stick-pin of Finnegan's.

"You ought to have a colored handkerchief to stick in your breast
pocket," said the Gutter Pup, who began to yield to the excitement.

"Up his sleeve is more English, don't you know," said Dennis.

Stover stood brazenly before the mirror, looking himself over. The
scrubbing he had inflicted on his face had left red, shining spots in
prominent places, while his hair, slicked back and plastered down,
gave him somewhat the look of an Italian barber on a Sunday off. He
felt the general glistening effect without, in his innocence, knowing
the remedy.

"Dink, you are bee-oo-tiful!" said Dennis.

"Be careful how you sit down," said the Tennessee Shad, thinking of
the trousers.

"H