nds.

"I better call a cop," said the man. "He's pretty full. He'll freeze if--I
know how it is, ma'am. I used to hit it up a bit myself. I--"

"Listen!" cried Lutie, regaining the shelter of the awning, where she
stopped in great perturbation. "Listen; you must put him in your cab and
take him somewhere. I will pay you. Here! Here is five dollars. Don't mind
me. I will get another taxi. Be quick! There is a policeman coming. I see
him,--there by--"

"Gee! I don't know where to take him. I--"

"You can't leave him lying there in the gutter, man," she cried fiercely.
"The gutter! The gutter! My God, what a thing to happen to--"

"Here! Get up, you!" shouted the driver, shaking George's shoulder. "Come
along, old feller. I'll look out for you. Gee! He weighs a ton."

Tresslyn was mumbling, half audibly, and made little or no effort to help
his unwilling benefactor, who literally dragged him to his feet.

"Is--is he hurt?" cried Lutie, from the doorway.

"No. Plain souse."

"Where will you take him?"

The man reflected. "It wouldn't be right to take him to his home. Maybe
he's got a wife. These fellers beat 'em up when they get like this."

"A wife? Beat them up--oh, you don't know what you are saying. He--"

At this juncture George straightened out his powerful figure, shook off
the Samaritan and with a loud, inarticulate cry rushed off down the
street. The driver looked after the retreating figure in utter amazement.

"By Gosh! Why--why; he ain't any more drunk than I am," he gasped. "Well,
can you beat that? All bunk! It beats thunder what these panhandlers will
do to pick up a dime or two. He was--say, he saw the cop, that's what it
was. Lord, look at him go!"

Tresslyn was racing wildly toward the corner. Lutie, aghast at this
disgusting exhibition of trickery, watched the flying figure of her
husband. She never knew that she was clinging to the arm of the driver.
She only knew that her heart seemed to have turned to lead. As he turned
the corner and disappeared from view, she found her voice and it seemed
that it was not her own. He had swerved widely and almost lost his feet as
he made the turn. He _was_ drunk! Her heart leaped with joy. He _was_
drunk. He had not tried to trick her.

"Go after him!" she cried out, shaking the man in her agitation. "Find
him! Don't let him get away. I--"

But the policeman was at her elbow.

"What's the matter here?" he demanded.

"Panhandler," said the driver s