ll," I countered; "I'll read nothing but the
ship news to see if you are stranded."

"Well, I won't do it!" snorted Bunch.

"You'll have to do it if you want to win out that wedding money," I
retorted. "Is this the way you thank me for what I've done for
you?"

"Done for me, nothing!" Bunch bit back. "I put up as much coin as
you did, and now you want me to do all the work!"

"Work!" I echoed; "what work is it to count money, eh, Skinski?"

"Counting money is a hot pastime, isn't it, Dodey?" he answered.

"You betcher sweet!" responded the fair lady, gazing dreamily at
the empty flagon of Pommery.

"Well, take my word for it," snarled Bunch, "I don't hanker for
that sort of amusement. If there's any train-hopping to be done,
it's up to you, John. It's your game, not mine."

"Say, are you going to welsh on me now that we've passed over our
contract to Skinski?" I asked hotly.

"No, I'm not going to welsh," Bunch came right back, "but I'm only
a silent partner in this concern, so you for the Bad Lands to do
the barking for the show."

"Why didn't you flash this stingy talk on me before we got
started?" I wanted to know. "It's a shine play to wait till you
get me all tied up with these artists here!"

Skinski and Dodo both took a bow.

"I didn't," Bunch cackled, "You framed up the whole thing, and now
you're sore because I won't leave home and friends to plug your
game."

"It's as much your game as mine!"

"It isn't!"

"It is!"

"Rats!"

"Make it twice on the Rats!"

In two seconds more I suppose we would have come to blows, but just
then a well-known voice behind us gurgled, "Hayo, John! why, I
hadn't any idea you were here! And Bunch, too! I'm so glad to see
you!"

It was Peaches, and behind her, smiling sweet approval, stood Aunt
Martha.

Heart failure for mine as I stumbled to my feet and caught the
interested expressions on the faces of Skinski and Dodo.

"Aunt Martha and I have been shopping, and we dropped in here for
luncheon," my wife rattled on, while I was slowly recovering.

"Of course we don't wish to be _de trop_," she added, glancing
curiously at the famous Skinski and his assistant in the
mind-reading tests.

"No, no, Peaches; certainly not!" I spluttered; "hadn't the
faintest idea you were coming in town to-day. Let me present
Bunch's Uncle Cornelius McGowan and his Aunt Flora from
Springfield--my wife and my mother-in-law!"

Skinski and Dodo were wise in a minut