n't pay any attention to him, Shorty," says Sadie.

"I won't," says I; "but I'm scared stiff."

Just about then, though, Buddy seemed to have got a bulletin over a
special wire. He was gazin' at me with his mouth open and a pucker
between his eyes. "What Shorty?" says he. "Say, you ain't Shorty McCabe,
are you?"

"Not to you," says I. "I got to draw the line somewhere, and with bad
men I stands on my dignity. I'm Professor McCabe, sonny."

"Holy cats!" says he. "Honest, professor, I didn't mean a word of it. I
take it all back. Why say, I saw you put out the Kangaroo in two
rounds."

"Then you've had a liberal education," says I.

"Gee!" says he, lettin' off some more surprise, and bracin' himself back
in the chair like he was afraid of falling off.

Well say, I've been rode to my dressin'-room on shoulders, and welcomed
home from fights by mobs with brass bands; but for a gen-u-ine ovation I
guess Buddy's little stunt came as near bein' the real thing as any.
Dewey comin' back from the Philippines, or Mr. Get-There Hadley landin'
in St. Louis with the Standard Oil scalps, wa'n't in it with me bein'
discovered by Buddy Sullivan. I couldn't get the key to it then, but
I've mapped it out now. Most of his enthusiasm was owin' to the fact
that ever since he was fifteen Buddy'd based his claim to bein' a real
sport on my havin' come from the same block as he did.

Anyway, it was a lightnin' change. From being a holy terror, Buddy
calmed down to as peaceful a young gent as you'd want to meet. If I'd
just shake hands with him once and call it square, he'd follow any
program I'd a mind to plan out.

"Only don't let her send me home to maw," says he. "Say, they get up at
six in the morning there, and if I don't crawl down by seven maw lugs up
toast and eggs, and talks to me like I was a kid."

"Well, where'd you like to be shipped?" says I.

"Aw, come now, professor," says he. "You don't have to be told that.
There ain't but one place where a fellow like me can really live. You
get sis to put me back on Broadway with a few hundred in my clothes, and
I'll kiss the Book that she won't hear from me for a year."

"But how about this jewelry-collectin' fad of yours?" says I.

"Ah, I wasn't going to carry it off," says he. "I let her see I had it,
on purpose. I'll be good."

Well, Sadie was willin' to let it go at that, and we was just gettin'
this part of the mix-up straightened out lovely, when there came a rap
at t