ed breeches. The first
Johnnie Smith of the row was a policeman (mounted!); the second, a
millionaire, wearing his fur on his collar; then there was a Johnnie
Smith dressed like Jim Hawkins, and he had two pistols in his belt;
beside this pirate-slaying Johnnie was a Johnnie who inhabited a lonely
island with a gentleman who owned a parrot and had a man Friday; and not
too close to the Johnnie who was Crusoe's friend was a Johnnie who rode
about with Aladdin on a great fighting elephant covered with blankets of
steel which could turn the arrows of all enemies; last of the six, and
perhaps the most glorious, too, was Sir Johnnie Smith, helmeted, and in
knightly dress, sitting a curveting gray, lance and shield in hand.

Which of them all would he be?

There was plenty of time to decide. A thin cheek cupped in a too-large
hand, he slept, dreaming that the leader was at the hall door, knocking,
knocking, knocking, but that for the life of him, Johnnie could not move
to answer the knock, being fixed to the floor, and helpless. He called
to the young man, though, with his whole might, which woke Big Tom and
Cis, and Cis woke Johnnie, by telling him to turn over, for he was
having a nightmare.

Next morning, hope buoyed Johnnie up from the moment he opened his eyes.
He rose joyously; and by nine o'clock everything was in readiness for
the coming of the leader, and Johnnie was waiting eagerly, ears cocked.

But when, shortly before noon, he realized that a stranger was climbing
the tenement stairs, not his ears but his small nose gave him the
information. Charging the air from the hall was perfume so strong and
delightful that, sniffing it in surprise and pleasure, he hastened to
open the door and glance up and around in the gloom for what he felt
sure would be like a smoke.

He saw nothing; but heard lively breathing, and a _swish, swish, swish_;
next, a weak, mewlike cry. Then here was Mrs. Kukor herself, dropping
down volubly, step by step, from her floor, aided by the banisters.
"Eva?" she cried as she came; "wass it mine Eva?"

Now, coming up the stairs to Johnnie's level, appeared a young lady with
red cheeks on a marvelously white face. She had on a silk dress (it was
the silk which was doing the swishing), a great deal of jewelry, and a
heavy fur coat fairly adrip around its whole lower edge with dozens of
little tails.

But this was not all. Slung under one arm, she carried a fat baby!--and
what a rosy, what a