lf free from responsibility--and you free to 'dree your
own weird'--whatever that means!--to the bitter end. As for me, I've no
responsibility at all. I don't advise you! In your place, I'd do as
you're doing. Only, I've enough fellow feeling to let you know, in a
spirit of comradeship, if I hear the call of an adventure.... There, you
_did_ the 'stunt' all right that time! A _lovely_ loop the loop! I
wouldn't have believed it! Now watch, please, while I try!"

He did watch, and I fancy that, in spite of himself, he took an
interest! He laughed out, quite a spontaneous "Ha, ha!" when I began
with a loop and ended with a sneeze.

It seems too absurd that a siren should lure her victim with a sneeze
instead of a song. But it was that sneeze which did the trick. Or else,
my mumness now and then, and not seeming to care a Tinker's Anything
whether he thought I was pretty or a fright. He warmed toward me visibly
during the loop lesson, and I was as proud as if a wild bird had settled
down to eat out of my hand.

That was the beginning: and a commonplace one, you'll say! It didn't
seem commonplace to me: I was too much interested. But even I did not
dream of the weird developments ahead!

CHAPTER II

THE ADVERTISEMENT

It was on the fourth day that I got the idea--I mean, the fourth day of
Terry Burns' stay in town.

He had dropped in to see me on each of these days, for one reason or
other: to tell me what Sir Humphrey said; to sneer at the treatment; to
beg a cigarette when his store had given out; or something else equally
important; I (true to my bargain with Caroline) having given up all
engagements in order to brighten Captain Burns.

I was reading the _Times_ when a thought popped into my head. I shut my
eyes, and studied its features. They fascinated me.

It was morning: and presently my Patient unawares strolled in for the
eleven-o'clock glass of egg-nogg prescribed by Sir Humphrey and offered
by me.

He drank it. When he had pronounced it good, I asked him casually how he
was. No change. At least, none that he noticed. Except that he always
felt better, more human, in my society. That was because I appeared to
be a bit fed up with life, too, and didn't try to cheer him.

"On the contrary," I said, "I was just wondering whether I might ask you
to cheer _me_. I've thought of something that might amuse me a little.
Yes, I'm sure it would! Only I'm not equal to working out the details
alone. If I w