hief.

"Yer'd make a dandy magazine cover," he said, grudgingly. "Beautiful
or not is for them that cares. It's not my line. If yer lookin' for
bouquets apply elsewhere between nine and twelve. I think we'll have
rain."

Truly, fascinating a candy man is like killing rabbits in a deep
snow; but the hunter's blood is widely diffused. Mademoiselle tugged
a great coil of hair from Sidonie's hands and let it fall out the
window.

"Candy man, have you a sweetheart anywhere with hair as long and soft
as that? And with an arm so round?" She flexed an arm like Galatea's
after the miracle across the window-sill.

The candy man cackled shrilly as he arranged a stock of butter-scotch
that had tumbled down.

"Smoke up!" said he, vulgarly. "Nothin' doin' in the complimentary
line. I'm too wise to be bamboozled by a switch of hair and a newly
massaged arm. Oh, I guess you'll make good in the calcium, all right,
with plenty of powder and paint on and the orchestra playing 'Under
the Old Apple Tree.' But don't put on your hat and chase downstairs
to fly to the Little Church Around the Corner with me. I've been
up against peroxide and make-up boxes before. Say, all joking
aside--don't you think we'll have rain?"

"Candy man," said Mademoiselle softly, with her lips curving and her
chin dimpling, "don't you think I'm pretty?"

The candy man grinned.

"Savin' money, ain't yer?" said he, "by bein' yer own press agent.
I smoke, but I haven't seen yer mug on any of the five-cent cigar
boxes. It'd take a new brand of woman to get me goin', anyway. I
know 'em from sidecombs to shoelaces. Gimme a good day's sales and
steak-and-onions at seven and a pipe and an evenin' paper back there
in the court, and I'll not trouble Lillian Russell herself to wink
at me, if you please."

Mademoiselle pouted.

"Candy man," she said, softly and deeply, "yet you shall say that I
am beautiful. All men say so and so shall you."

The candy man laughed and pulled out his pipe.

"Well," said he, "I must be goin' in. There is a story in the evenin'
paper that I am readin'. Men are divin' in the seas for a treasure,
and pirates are watchin' them from behind a reef. And there ain't a
woman on land or water or in the air. Good-evenin'." And he trundled
his pushcart down the alley and back to the musty court where he
lived.

Incredibly to him who has not learned woman, Mademoiselle sat at the
window each day and spread her nets for the ignominious game