ees.

He strove to penetrate its wicker exterior with concentrated gaze. He
could see nothing but wicker.

"Well," he began angrily, "what _is_ in that basket? And how do _you_
know it--you lunatic?"

"Will you believe me if I tell you?"

"If you can offer any corroborative evidence----"

"Well, then--there's a cat in that basket."

"A--what?"

"A cat."

"How do you know?"

"I don't know how I know, but there's a big, gray cat in that basket."

"Why a _gray_ one?"

"I can't tell, but it _is_ gray, and it has six toes on every foot."

Smith truly felt that he was now being trifled with.

"Brown," he said, trying to speak civilly, "if anybody in the five
boroughs had come to me with affidavits and told me yesterday how you
were going to behave this morning----"

His voice, rising unconsciously as the realization of his outrageous
wrongs dawned upon him, rang out above the rattle and grinding of the
car, and the girl turned abruptly and looked straight at him and then at
Brown.

The pure, fearless beauty of the gaze, the violet eyes widening a little
in surprise, silenced both young men.

She inspected Brown for an instant, then turned serenely to her calm
contemplation of the crowded street once more. Yet her dainty, close-set
ears looked as though they were listening.

The young men gazed at one another.

"That girl is well bred," said Smith in a low, agitated voice. "You--you
wouldn't think of venturing to speak to her!"

"I'm obliged to, I tell you! This all happened before. I recognize
everything as it occurs.... Even to your making a general nuisance of
yourself."

Smith straightened up.

"I'm going to push you forcibly from this car. Do you remember _that_
incident?"

[Illustration: "The lid of the basket tilted a little. Then a plaintive
voice said 'Meow-w'."]

"No," said Brown with conviction, "that incident did not happen. You only
threatened to do it. I remember now."

In spite of himself Smith felt a slight chill creep up over his neck and
inconvenience his spine.

He said, deeply agitated: "What a terrible position for me to be in--with
a friend suddenly gone mad in the streets of New York and running after a
basket containing what he believes to be a cat. A _Cat!_ Good----"

Brown gripped his arm. "Watch it!" he breathed.

The lid of the basket tilted a little, between lid and rim a soft, furry,
six-toed gray paw was thrust out. Then a plaintive voice said, "Meow-w!"

[I