ll her, then?"

"A kleptomaniac," Smithson explained, retaining his manner of mild
insistence. "You see, sir, it's this way. The lady happens to be the
wife of J. W. Gaskell, the banker, you know."

Yes, Gilder did know. The mention of the name was like a spell in the
effect it wrought on the attitude of the irritated owner of the store.
Instantly, his expression changed. While before his features had been
set grimly, while his eyes had flashed wrathfully, there was now only
annoyance over an event markedly unfortunate.

"How extremely awkward!" he cried; and there was a very real concern
in his voice. He regarded Smithson kindly, whereat that rather puling
gentleman once again assumed his martial bearing. "You were quite
right in coming to me." For a moment he was silent, plunged in thought.
Finally he spoke with the decisiveness characteristic of him. "Of
course, there's nothing we can do. Just put the stuff back on the
counter, and let her go."

But Smithson had not yet wholly unburdened himself. Instead of
immediately leaving the room in pursuance of the succinct instructions
given him, he again cleared his throat nervously, and made known a
further aggravating factor in the situation.

"She's very angry, Mr. Gilder," he announced, timidly. "She--er--she
demands an--er--an apology."

The owner of the store half-rose from his chair, then threw himself back
with an exclamation of disgust. He again ejaculated the words with which
he had greeted his son's unexpected kisses, but now there was a vast
difference in the intonation.

"God bless my soul!" he cried. From his expression, it was clear that a
pious aspiration was farthest from his thought. On the contrary! Again,
he fell silent, considering the situation which Smithson had presented,
and, as he reflected, his frown betrayed the emotion natural enough
under the circumstances. At last, however, he mastered his irritation to
some degree, and spoke his command briefly. "Well, Smithson, apologize
to her. It can't be helped." Then his face lighted with a sardonic
amusement. "And, Smithson," he went on with a sort of elephantine
playfulness, "I shall take it as a personal favor if you will tactfully
advise the lady that the goods at Altman and Stern's are really even
finer than ours."

When Smithson had left the office, Gilder turned to his secretary.

"Take this," he directed, and he forthwith dictated the following letter
to the husband of the lady who was