d I, and turned inside. The Skeptic stood
outside the door, looking into the dimness. I could not find the scarf.
I would not turn up the light. I searched and searched vainly.

"Let me give you something to see by," said the Skeptic, and before I
could prevent him he had bolted into the room and turned up the lamp.
"Here it is," said he, and caught up some article of apparel from the
dressing-table. "Oh, no--this must be--a sash," said he, and dropped it.
He stood looking about him.

"Go away," said I sternly. "I'll find it."

"I don't think you will," said he, "in this--er--this--pandemonium."

I walked over to the dressing-table and put out the lamp. "Now will you
go away?" said I.

"You were expeditious," said he, making for the hall, and stumbling over
something as he went, "but not quite expeditious enough. Never mind
about the scarf. I think I'll let the Philosopher take the Girl Guest to
walk--the Gay Lady's good enough for me. I say"--as he moved toward the
staircase and I followed--"don't you think we'd better move the
Philosopher in to-morrow?"

"To-morrow," said I with assumed conviction, "it will be different.
Please reserve your judgment."

I tried to reserve my own. I did not go into Althea's room again until
the next evening at the same hour. I found ten articles strewn where
five had lain before. A bottle of something green had been tipped over
upon the white embroidered cover of my dressing-table. A spot of ink
adorned the edge of the sheet, and the condition of the bed showed
plainly that an afternoon nap upon it had ended with some letter
writing. I think Althea's shoes had been dusted with one of my best
towels. I did not stay to see what else had been done, but I could not
help noting three more brown scratches on my white wall.

* * * * *

At the end of the week Althea went away. When she had gone I went up to
her room. I had been at work there for some time when a tap at the door
interrupted me. The Skeptic stood outside with a hoe and a
bushel-basket.

"Want some help?" offered he.

"It's not gentlemanly of you to notice," said I weakly.

"I know it," said he. He came in and inverted the bushel-basket on the
hearth and sat down upon it. "But the door was always open, and I
couldn't help seeing. If it wasn't shoes and a kimono in the middle of
the floor it was a raincoat and rubber boots. Sometimes I stopped to
count the things on that dressing----"