hat whiny, tremblin' voice of his, watchin' them
shifty, deep-set eyes glisten glassy under the light. About as
comfortin' a sight, he was, as a sick dog in a corner. And of all the
rummy ideas to get in his nut--that about bein' dressed up to die! But
he keeps harpin' away on it until fin'ly Mr. Robert takes notice.

"Yes, yes!" says the boss. "We'll attend to that, old man. But you
need some nourishment in you first."

So we drags him over to the opposite corner, where there's a drugstore,
and got a glass of hot milk under his vest. Then I calls a taxi, and
we all starts for the nearest Turkish bath joint.

"That's all, Torchy," says Mr. Robert. "I won't bother you any more
with this wretched business. You'd best go now."

"Suppose something happens to him?" says I. "You'll need a witness,
won't you?"

"I hadn't thought of that," says he.

"There's no tellin'," says I. "Them coroners deputies are mostly
boneheads. I'd better stay on the job."

"I know of no one I'd rather have, Torchy," says he.

Course, he was stretchin' it there. But we fixes it up that while
Bunny is bein' soaked out I'll have time to pluck some eats. Meanwhile
Mr. Robert will 'phone his man to dig out one of his old dress suits,
with fixin's, which I'm to collect and have waitin' for Blashford.

"Better have him barbered some too, hadn't I?" says I.

"A lot," says Mr. Robert, slippin' me a couple of tens for expenses.
"And when he's all ready call me at the club."

So, take it all around, I has quite some busy evenin'. I stayed long
enough to see Bunny wrapped in a sheet and helped into the steam-room,
and then I hustles out for a late dinner. It's near nine-thirty before
I rings Mr. Robert up again, and reports that Bunny would pass a Board
of Health inspection now that he's had the face herbage removed, that
he's costumed proper and correct, and that he's decided not to die
immediate.

"Very well," says Mr. Robert. "What does he want to do now?"

"He wants to talk to you," says I.

"The deuce he does!" says Mr. Robert. "Well, I suppose we might as
well have it out; so bring him up here."

That's how it happens I'm rung in on this little club corner chat; for
Mr. Robert explains that whatever passes between 'em it might be as
well to have someone else hear.

And, say, what a diff'rence a little outside upholstery can make, eh?
The steamin' out had helped some, I expect, and a couple more glasses
of hot milk ha