keep from taking the Count, he lost his
Nerve entirely.

He couldn't see anything on the Horizon except Tariff Revision, Hard
Times, Weeping Women, Starving Kiddies, Closed Factories, Soup
Kitchens, and Bread Lines.

While in this dotty State and quite irresponsible, he directed the
Manager to close out the whole Smear and sell short.

Furthermore, he was so daffy and curdled in the Filbert that he sold
three times as much as he had.

Then he did a couple of Spins and a Flop, and the White Ambulance bore
him away to the big Hospital.

If Mr. Hornung Jackson of Round Grove, Maryland, had not entered upon
his Second Childhood at the age of 55, his Family would have remained
on Easy Street.

Mr. Jackson thought he could sit in his Front Room and read the
burglarious Meditations of the High-Binders in Wall Street.

Consequently, when the Tin Box was searched, the Day after the Masons
had marched out to the Cemetery, it contained a little of everything
except Assets.

Annie was the name of the Daughter.

On the Clean-up she received enough to put her through the School.

When Bob arrived at the Hospital, in a State of Conflagration, Annie
was waiting in the starched Uniform to tackle her first real Case.

For days and nights he rambled through the ghostly labyrinths of
Delirium, Annie holding him by the Hand and lifting the cool Draughts
to his parched Lips.

He mumbled and raved about the decisions of the Umpire in the game
between the Academy and the Knitting Works.

He gave Annie his entire performance of Ralph Rackstraw in "Pinafore"
for the benefit of the Library Fund, including Cues.

He scolded his Aunt Mary for doing her own Housework and told the
Colored Men how to lay the Cement Walk down through the Grape Arbor.

He promised his Father not to play Poker any more and vowed to his
Mother that she was a better Chef than the one up at Del's.

But his sub-conscious Self was so considerate of Elphye that he never
brought in her Name at all, at all.

Sometimes he would get back to the Ticker, but he was ready to leave
it any time to go fishing in the Crick with the Lads from the other
side of the Tracks.

Through the final Crisis he played tag with the Grim Reaper and just
escaped being It.

The Sun was slanting into the little white Room when he crawled feebly
back to Earth and tried to get his Bearings.

Annie was looking right at him, relieved and smiling and happy. She
had won her first gam