JAK 13
THE SEX THAT DOESN'T SHOP 25
THE BLOOD-FEUD OF TOAD-WATER 31
A YOUNG TURKISH CATASTROPHE 38
JUDKIN OF THE PARCELS 42
GABRIEL-ERNEST 47
THE SAINT AND THE GOBLIN 60
THE SOUL OF LAPLOSHKA 66
THE BAG 75
THE STRATEGIST 85
CROSS CURRENTS 94
THE BAKER'S DOZEN (A PLAYLET) 106
THE MOUSE 116

"_The Baker's Dozen_" _originally appeared in_ "_The Journal of the
Leinster Regiment_." _The other sketches have appeared from time to time
in the_ "_Westminster Gazette_." _To the Editors of these publications I
am indebted for courteous permission to reproduce the stories in their
present form_.

REGINALD IN RUSSIA

Reginald sat in a corner of the Princess's salon and tried to forgive the
furniture, which started out with an obvious intention of being Louis
Quinze, but relapsed at frequent intervals into Wilhelm II.

He classified the Princess with that distinct type of woman that looks as
if it habitually went out to feed hens in the rain.

Her name was Olga; she kept what she hoped and believed to be a
fox-terrier, and professed what she thought were Socialist opinions. It
is not necessary to be called Olga if you are a Russian Princess; in
fact, Reginald knew quite a number who were called Vera; but the
fox-terrier and the Socialism are essential.

"The Countess Lomshen keeps a bull-dog," said the Princess suddenly. "In
England is it more chic to have a bull-dog than a fox-terrier?"

Reginald threw his mind back over the canine fashions of the last ten
years and gave an evasive answer.

"Do you think her handsome, the Countess Lomshen?" asked the Princess.

Reginald thought the Countess's complexion suggested an exclusive diet of
macaroons and pale sherry. He said so.

"But that cannot be possible," said the Princess triumphantly; "I've seen
her eating fish-soup at Donon's."

The Princess always defended a friend's complexion if it was really bad.
With her, as with a great many of her sex, charity began at homeliness
and did not generally progress much farther.

Reginald withdrew his macaroon and sherry theory, and became interested
in a case of miniatures.

"That?" said t