bbish! When the show's over, I'm through."

"What blessed innocents men are. He really believes that, poor dear,"
sighed Bobs.

"Talk on; talk on! Thank heaven, Jane Judd doesn't talk."

The day that the costumes were finished was the last the three women saw
of Jerry. The prophets swallowed him up. He flung himself on his bed at
all hours of early morning, after rehearsal. He ate where and when he
could. Never had his powers been called on to such an extent. He had to
deal with two hundred women. He needed the endurance of an ox, with the
wisdom of a serpent. He met jealousy, anger, hatred, social politics,
with the same genial tact. The women were crazy about him. He refused to
referee any fight, and he had a committee select the chief actors in the
drama.

The night before the performance they rehearsed until two in the
morning. They were all to spend the day of the great event in rest.
Jerry slept until early afternoon, then walked to the club to look over
the ballroom for the last time. It was extremely beautiful, and he felt
satisfied with it. At the top of a wide sweep of stairs a circular
window showed blue, star-specked night beyond. It was against this
background that the groups were to assemble. The effect of the costumes
against the blue-black of the sky proved very successful.

It seemed to Jerry as he went out onto the street again that this
pageant had absorbed his whole life, that he had thought in Biblical
terms and planned for this all his days. He realized that new currents
were astir in him, that new people were crowding in. To-morrow he must
take stock of the whole experience, mark where he was going.

He walked past Bobs's door, on his way to his own, and rapped. She
called out and he went in. She was lying on a couch.

"What's up; anything?"

"I was knocked down by an automobile, that's all."

"What? How did it happen?"

She explained the accident, how she had refused to go to a hospital, and
how some nice, strange man had carried her home and gone for the doctor.
He, on his arrival, had ordered perfect quiet, said there was no real
damage done, except to nerves. She raged at the idea of being
interrupted in her work, and to comfort her Jerry suggested that he have
dinner sent in for both of them, from a near-by cafe.

"Jane is here to take care of me, but you can have dinner with us."

"All right, if you'll have it soon. I've got to get into my leopard skin
and get down there early.