turning in great rage to face
the unfortunate maid.

She stood her ground. "A cake,--white, with candles of pink."

"Did I order a pink cake? What do you mean by asking such a question?
You know I didn't." His frown was terrible.

"Candles of pink," corrected the girl, and holding up her hand she
counted, "One, two, three, four, five."

"What is the woman talking about?" demanded Giant Despair.

"De con-fectionaire man bring it. He say it vas for here. He comes not
back."

"Then telephone him to send for it at once. Why do you come bothering
me about it?"

"We know not who sends it."

"Bring the thing here and let me see what you are talking about."

The maid retired, returning presently carrying a small cake covered
with an elaborate white icing, and further decorated, as has been
said, with five pink candles. This she set upon the desk, and, a gleam
of--was it malice or mischief? in her eyes, slipped away.

"Humph!" growled Giant Despair, peering at the strange object, even
resorting to his big magnifying glass that he might see it the better.

An innocent, saucy little cake, it was a wonder it did not shrivel and
disappear amid those strange surroundings, beneath that unfriendly
gaze.

Could this be a joke some one was playing on him? Giant Despair
wondered. But who thought enough about him even for that?

"Take it away," he commanded; but Annie had vanished, and so the cake
had a chance to tell its story.

In this gloomy, tiresome world, somebody was five years old to-day.
Not very much of a story, but somehow it impressed Giant Despair
strangely. He leaned back in his chair, his frown relaxing a trifle.

He did not care for children; they were meddlesome and noisy. He waged
continual warfare against certain naughty boys on Pleasant Street,
who, divining his dislike, resorted to all sorts of teasing tricks.
They carried off his door-mat, unhinged his gate, favored him with
uncomplimentary valentines, and robbed his grape arbor,--each in its
season.

So far as this went, however, he could not be called a favorite with
older persons. In the large drug company where he was still senior
partner he was held responsible for the policy of extorting just as
much work as possible for just as little pay.

Persons of forbidding countenances are fated to be harshly judged; and
the sins of others may have been laid at his door sometimes; but while
his defective sight might be the cause of his frown, it rema