e same birthday, whose case we have recorded in
our journals, is now, though perfectly healthy, bed-ridden under the
following amazing circumstances. He accidentally discovered that his
tailor, who had clothed him since boyhood, was an anarchist. After
this he was afraid to have any further dealings with the man, while,
on the other hand, he lacked sufficient courage to face the ordeal
of being fitted by a fresh tailor. For some time he used to sit up at
night and secretly sew patches into his trousers. Naturally this could
not go on for ever, and at last, when his garments were dropping to
pieces, he had to take to his bed.... You smile, Sir. Perhaps you
think I am exaggerating?"

His eyes flashed and his voice vibrated with such anger that I jumped
six inches out of my seat.

"Not at all--not at all," I stammered. "Only it occurred to
me--er--that he might have--er--b-bought them ready-made."

"Your knowledge of human nature must be singularly slight," replied
the other icily, "if you imagine that a man without sufficient courage
to be fitted by a tailor would be brave enough to wear ready-made
clothes."

"It seems to me, Sir," said Dean, coming to the rescue, "that your two
instances prove little, if anything. They may be mere coincidence."

The stranger leaned forward, frowned heavily and wagged his forefinger
at Dean, who wilted visibly.

"The Society for the Investigation of Natal Day Influences upon
Character," he said, "does not seek to build up a theory upon
isolated and arbitrarily selected examples. We deal with the subject
scientifically. To continue with this date, February 29th. After
several cases similar to those I have recounted had come to our
notice, we made out a list of two hundred and fifty men born on
this day. To each of them we sent a representative to ask for a
subscription to the Society. Though they had never heard of it before,
_every one of those two hundred and fifty was easily intimidated into
subscribing._

"Now let us consider another date--March 3rd. Several striking
instances had led us to suspect that a person born on March 3rd comes
into the world with an ineradicable passion for gambling. I will give
you just one of these. A gentleman one day imagined he was seriously
ill and called in a doctor. The latter laughed at his fears and
offered to bet him that he would live to be seventy. The temptation
was too great. The gambler closed with the offer, and on the eve of
his sev