ed needles," said L. Hernandez, furiously. "It
will take me a month, stiff as I am, to get things to rights."

"An outrage!" said Indiman, soothingly. "Shall we have a try at
crossing the 'Bridge'?" And forthwith they sat down to the great
solitaire with the utmost amity. But again it did not come out; the
combinations were insoluble.

The next day we paid another visit to L. Hernandez.

"The curl-papers do not seem to be very effective," remarked Indiman,
glancing at the familiar smooth bands of hair drawn straight down from
the forehead and over the ears.

"Ah, these wretched bandeaux!" sighed madame; "they are intractable. I
shall have to wear my curl-papers by day as well as by night. Excuse
me, gentlemen, for a few minutes," and she disappeared into the back
room, to shortly reappear with the rebellious bands tightly swathed in
a dozen little rolls of twisted paper. "Again the impassable 'Bridge,'"
she said, gayly, and the pair wrestled half a dozen times with the
problem--of course, unsuccessfully.

On the following day the comedy was repeated.

"Madame," said Indiman, gravely, "you have again forgotten your
curl-papers."

"Senor, my memory is undoubtedly failing; I go to repair the omission."
Re-enter madame in curl-papers, and then the "Bridge" as before; da
capo for a week on end.

"It seems impossible to get that accursed combination," said Indiman,
and he threw down the cards. Madame L. Hernandez smiled, and there was
a little silence.

"Madame," said Indiman.

"Senor."

"You are not treating me fairly. You have allowed those stupid
detectives to search your apartments, and I demand an equal privilege."

"You shall have it, senor. I am going to make a complaint of the affair
at Police Headquarters. Perhaps Senor Thorp will kindly accompany me?"

"Excellent! I will remain here, and if the letter is within these four
walls I shall find it."

"My best wishes, senor."

I called a coach. Madame arrayed herself in a fur cloak and crowned
herself, curl-papers and all, with that atrocious hat from the window
stock, a grotesque figure of a woman in all conscience. But I had
nerved myself for the ordeal, and we drove away amid the jeers and
laughter of the street crowd. In an hour we returned. Indiman was
placidly smoking and working on his solitaire.

"You were successful, senor?"

"No, but I have hopes."

"Ah! Well, good-day, gentlemen. Come again."

"Of course there was nothing," said Indim