proached the man he satisfied his curiosity by a long look. Under
the glance Hertz lowered his eyes and fixed them upon his newspaper.
Sam retrieved his hat and left the restaurant.

His mind immediately was overcast. He remembered his disappointment
and that the parting between himself and Polly was now inevitable.
Without considering his direction he turned toward Charing Cross Road.
But he was not long allowed to meditate undisturbed.

He had only crossed the little street that runs beside the restaurant
and passed into the shadow of the National Gallery when, at the base of
the Irving Memorial, from each side he was fiercely attacked. A young
man of eminently respectable appearance kicked his legs from under him,
and another of equally impeccable exterior made an honest effort to
knock off his head.

Sam plunged heavily to the sidewalk. As he sprawled forward his hat
fell under him and in his struggle to rise was hidden by the skirts of
his greatcoat. That, also, he had fallen heavily upon his hat with
both knees Sam did not know. The strange actions of his assailants
enlightened him. To his surprise, instead of continuing their assault
or attempting a raid upon his pockets, he found them engaged solely in
tugging at the hat. And so preoccupied were they in this that, though
still on his knees, Sam was able to land some lusty blows before a rush
of feet caused the young men to leap to their own and, pursued by
several burly forms, disappear in the heart of the traffic.

Sam rose and stood unsteadily. He found himself surrounded by all of
those who but a moment before he had left contentedly dining at
Pavoni's. In an excited circle waiters and patrons of the restaurant,
both men and women, stood in the falling snow, bareheaded, coatless,
and cloakless, staring at him. Forsythe pushed them aside and took Sam
by the arm.

"What happened?" demanded Sam.

"You ought to know," protested Forsythe. "You started it! The moment
you left the restaurant two men grabbed their hats and jumped after
you; a dozen other men, without waiting for hats, jumped after them.
The rest of us got out just as the two men and the detectives dived
into the traffic."

A big man, with an air of authority, drew Sam to one side.

"Did they take anything from you, sir?" he asked.

"I've nothing they could take," said Sam. "And they didn't try to find
out. They just knocked me down."

Forsythe turned to the big man.

"This