a." The straw which served as bookmark
pointed to-day to "Ants," and ordinarily Mr. Opp would have attacked
the subject with all the enthusiasm of an entomologist. But even the
best regulated minds will at times play truant, and Mr. Opp's had taken
a flying leap and skipped six hundred and thirty-two pages, landing
recklessly in the middle of "Young Lochinvar." For the encyclopedia, in
its laudable endeavor not only to cover all intellectual requirements,
but also to add the crowning grace of culture, had appended a collection
of poems under the title "Favorites, Old and New."

Mr. Opp, thus a-wing on the winds of poesy, had sipped his tepid coffee
and nibbled his burnt toast in fine abstraction until he came upon a
selection which his soul recognized. He had found words to the music
that was ringing in his heart. It was then that he propped the book open
before him, and determined not to close it until he had made the lines
his own.

Later, as he trudged along the road to town, he repeated the verses to
himself, patiently referring again and again to the note-book in which
he had copied the first words of each line.

At the office door he regretfully dismounted from Pegasus, and
resolutely turned his attention to the business of the day. His desire
was to complete the week's work by noon, spend the afternoon at home in
necessary preparation for the coming guest, and have the following day,
which was Saturday, free to devote to the interest of the oil company.

In order to accomplish this, expedition was necessary, and Mr. Opp,
being more bountifully endowed by nature with energy than with any other
quality, fell to work with a will. His zeal, however, interfered with
his progress, and he found himself in the embarrassing condition of a
machine which is geared too high.

He was, moreover, a bit bruised and stiff from the unusual performances
of the previous day, and any sudden motion caused him to wince. But the
pain brought recollection, and recollection was instant balm.

It was hardly to be expected that things would deviate from their usual
custom of becoming involved at a critical time, so Mr. Opp was not
surprised when Nick was late and had to be spoken to, a task which the
editor always achieved with great difficulty. Then the printing-press
had an acute attack of indigestion, and no sooner was that relieved than
the appalling discovery was made that there were no more good "S's" in
the type drawer.

"Use