d, out of work, and a hopeless drunkard, came
to him and begged for a position. The man had sunk so low that he was
repeatedly arrested for pretending to be blind on the street corners,
and had debauched an innocent dog to assist in this deception.
Cleggett forgave him the slights of many years and made him an
assistant janitor in the new college of journalism.

The post is a sinecure, and well within even the man Wharton's powers.

Cap'n Abernethy travels with the Cleggetts a great deal, under the
hallucination, which they humor, that he is of service to them. The
children are very fond of him. At Claiborne Castle Cleggett has had a
shallow lake constructed for him. There the Captain, still firm in the
belief that he is a sailor, loves to potter about with catboats and
rafts.

Dr. Farnsworth enjoys a lucrative position as physician to the Cleggett
family, and Kuroki is their butler.

By 1925 the prejudice against militants had abated in certain exalted
circles in England, and Lady Agatha Cleggett and her husband were much
at court.

Cleggett, hating notoriety, had endeavored to conceal the story of his
adventures along the dangerous coasts of Long Island; but concealment
was impossible. After the death of the old Earl of Claiborne, and the
demise of Reginald Maltravers, and Cleggett's purchase of the Claiborne
estate, the King wished Cleggett to take the title of Earl of Claiborne.

His Majesty sent the Premier to sound Cleggett upon the matter.

"No, no," said Cleggett affably. "I couldn't think of it. I am quite
democratic, you know."

The second time the King sent one of the Royal Dukes to see Cleggett.
They were at a house party in Wales, and Cleggett was a little
disturbed that this business affair should be brought up at a gathering
so distinctly social in its nature. He was too tactful to let it be
seen, but secretly he felt that in approaching the matter in that
fashion the Duke had erred in taste.

"But we need men like you in the House of Lords," pleaded the Duke.

"I cannot think of it," said Cleggett. And then, not wishing to hurt
the Englishman's feelings, he said kindly: "But I will promise you
this: if I should change my mind and decide to become a member of any
aristocracy at all, it will be the English aristocracy."

The Duke thanked Cleggett for the compliment; and Cleggett thought he
had heard the end of it.

He was, therefore, surprised, a few weeks later, as he was conversing