sons."

"Impossible," Joy replied. "But it might be fun to look them over. Shall
we have a quick one first--just to stiffen the old spine a bit?"

It sounded like a good suggestion so we stiffened our spines with what
was left in the bottle, and quitted the conservatory.

* * * * *

Back in the house, one thing became swiftly apparent. We had guests who
were utter strangers to me. But it was Bag Ears who summed up the
situation with the briefest possible statement. "Jees!" he ejaculated.
"It's a crooks' convention!"

"You can identify some of these intruders?"

"If you mean do I know 'em, the answer is without a doubt, pal. Somehow,
the whole Cement Mixer Zinsky mob has infiltered into the joint."

"Cement Mixer Zinsky," Joy murmured. "Another of those odd names."

"It's on account of he invented something. Zinsky was the first gee to
think up a very novel way of getting rid of people that crowd you. He
got the idea to mix up a tub of cement--place the unwanted character's
feet in same and then throw the whole thing into the lake. Result--no
more crowding by that guy."

"He was the first one who thought of it? A sort of trail blazer."

"Of course Cement Mixer is a big shot now and his boys take care of
things like that. But sometimes he goes along to mix the cement--just to
keep his hand in you might say."

"A sentimentalist no doubt."

"No doubt," Bag Ears agreed.

I patted Joy's hand and said, "Don't be alarmed, darling. I will take
care of everything."

The situation was definitely obnoxious to me. Tolerance of one's fellow
men is one thing, but this was something entirely different. These
people had come uninvited to our festive board and were of the criminal
element, pure and unadulterated by any instincts of honesty or decency.
And it made me angry to see them wading into Aunt Gretchen's liquor
supply as though the stuff came out of a pump.

They were easy to count, these hoodlums, segregated as they were. The
more respectable of the guests who had not already left, were clustered
together in one corner of the living room, possibly as a gesture toward
self-protection. None of these elite were making any effort to approach
the buffet or the portable bar at the other side of the room. And in
thus refraining, they showed a superior brand of intelligence. Under
present circumstances any attempt to reach the refreshments would have
been as dangerous as crossing the Hiale