him. A rich present! That was the
wheeze. If he returned to her bearing a rich present, he might, with the
help of Heaven and a face of brass, succeed in making her believe that
he had merely pretended to forget the vital date in order to enhance the
surprise.

It was a scheme. Like some great general forming his plan of campaign on
the eve of battle, Archie had the whole binge neatly worked out inside a
minute. He scribbled a note to Mr. Wheeler, explaining the situation and
promising reasonable payment on the instalment system; then, placing the
note in a conspicuous position on the easel, he leaped to the telephone:
and presently found himself connected with Lucille's room at the
Cosmopolis.

"Hullo, darling," he cooed.

There was a slight pause at the other end of the wire.

"Oh, hullo, Archie!"

Lucille's voice was dull and listless, and Archie's experienced ear
could detect that she had been crying. He raised his right foot, and
kicked himself indignantly on the left ankle.

"Many happy returns of the day, old thing!"

A muffled sob floated over the wire.

"Have you only just remembered?" said Lucille in a small voice.

Archie, bracing himself up, cackled gleefully into the receiver.

"Did I take you in, light of my home? Do you mean to say you really
thought I had forgotten? For Heaven's sake!"

"You didn't say a word at breakfast."

"Ah, but that was all part of the devilish cunning. I hadn't got a
present for you then. At least, I didn't know whether it was ready."

"Oh, Archie, you darling!" Lucille's voice had lost its crushed
melancholy. She trilled like a thrush, or a linnet, or any bird that
goes in largely for trilling. "Have you really got me a present?"

"It's here now. The dickens of a fruity picture. One of J. B. Wheeler's
things. You'll like it."

"Oh, I know I shall. I love his work. You are an angel. We'll hang it
over the piano."

"I'll be round with it in something under three ticks, star of my soul.
I'll take a taxi."

"Yes, do hurry! I want to hug you!"

"Right-o!" said Archie. "I'll take two taxis."

It is not far from Washington Square to the Hotel Cosmopolis, and Archie
made the journey without mishap. There was a little unpleasantness
with the cabman before starting--he, on the prudish plea that he was a
married man with a local reputation to keep up, declining at first to be
seen in company with the masterpiece. But, on Archie giving a promise to
keep the front of