t. Good-by, dearie," said Charles-Norton, and hung up the
receiver, and with a bad conscience and a soaring heart, went off to
dinner. No shearing to-night--gee! He ordered a dinner which made the
red-headed waitress gasp. "Must have got a raise, eh?" she diagnosed.

"No, not a raise, not a raise," hummed Charles-Norton; "skip now; I'm
hungry."

The night was a long and toilsome one, but an inexhaustible bubble was at
the pit of Charles-Norton's being; gradually through the night he felt,
beneath his coat, his shoulders deliciously swelling. And when in the
morning he stepped out upon the sidewalk, a cry left his lips.

It had showered during the night, and to the rising sun the whole city
was glowing as with a golden dew. The air was fresh; Charles-Norton
gulped it down. He felt as though a broad river were streaming through
him--a clear, cool river. Suddenly, his heels snapped together, his head
went back; his hands rose to his armpits and his arms began to vibrate up
and down. A policeman came running across the street. "Say, wot de 'ell
are you doing?" he bellowed, red-faced and outraged.

"I'm going to breakfast," answered Charles-Norton, cockily.

He went into the bakery, his hat a-tilt, with the air of a conqueror. For
he had decided not to go up to the flat, but to breakfast right here and
to spend an hour in the square before going back to the glass cage at
nine. His chest pouted; his eyes glistened; wine ran in his veins. He
ordered ham-and-eggs and hot-cakes. An orgy!

He was eating fast, in a hurry for the Pippin and the loll on the bench,
when he felt someone sit down by him. There was a pause; then, "hello,
chicken!" piped a thin voice in his ear.

"Hello, Pinny," answered Charles-Norton, even before looking. He had
recognized the voice of the pale youth whom he had elbowed on the L a
few weeks before, and whom later he had placated here in the bakery.

"S'pose you're a millionaire by this time, chicken," said the youth,
jocularly.

"Sure, Pinny," answered Charles-Norton.

"But really, honest, did yuh win anything?" went on Pinny, more
seriously.

"Win?" Suddenly Charles-Norton remembered the lottery ticket that he had
bought. He had forgotten it completely. "The drawings was three days
ago," Pinny was saying; "got 'em here," and out of his pocket he drew a
soiled newspaper clipping.

Charles-Norton also was searching his pockets with much contortion; and
it was some time before his hand flas