ss and silent in the dark,
while he crossed to Mrs. Madison, and prefaced a leave-taking
unusually formal for these precincts with his mannered bow. He
shook hands with Richard Lindley, asking genially:

"Do you still live where you did--just below here?"

"Yes."

"When I passed by there this afternoon," said Corliss, "it
recalled a stupendous conflict we had, once upon a time; but I
couldn't remember the cause."

"I remember the cause," said Mr. Lindley, but, stopping rather
short, omitted to state it. "At all events, it was settled."

"Yes," said the other quietly. "You whipped me."

"Did I so?" Corliss laughed gayly. "We mustn't let it happen
again!"

Mr. Trumble joined the parting guest, making simultaneous adieus
with unmistakable elation. Mr. Trumble's dreadful entertainment
had made it a happy evening for him.

As they went down the steps together, the top of his head just
above the level of his companion's shoulder, he lifted to Corliss
a searching gaze like an actor's hopeful scrutiny of a new
acquaintance; and before they reached the street his bark rang
eagerly on the stilly night: "Now _there_ is a point on which I
beg to differ with you. . . ."

Mrs. Madison gave Lindley her hand. "I think I'll go in.
Good-night, Richard. Come, Hedrick!"

Hedrick rose, groaning, and batted his eyes painfully as he faced
the hall light. "What'd you and this Corliss fight about?" he
asked, sleepily.

"Nothing," said Lindley.

"You said you remembered."

"Oh, I remember a lot of useless things."

"Well, what was it? I want to know what you fought about."

"Come, Hedrick," repeated his mother, setting a gently urgent hand
on his shoulder.

"I won't," said the boy impatiently, shaking her off and growing
suddenly very wideawake and determined. "I won't move a step till
he tells me what they fought about. Not a step!"

"Well--it was about a `show.' We were only boys, you know--younger
than you, perhaps."

"A circus?"

"A boy-circus he and my brother got up in our yard. I wasn't in
it."

"Well, what did you fight about?"

"I thought Val Corliss wasn't quite fair to my brother. That's
all."

"No, it isn't! How wasn't he fair?"

"They sold tickets to the other boys; and I thought my brother
didn't get his share."

"This Corliss kept it all?"

"Oh, something like that," said Lindley, laughing.

"Probably I was in the wrong."

"And he licked you?"

"All over the place!"

"I wish I'd seen it