nions and crossed over to the seat vacated
in her favor.

At the first call for luncheon, he entered the diner and was given a
seat at a small table. The seat opposite him was unoccupied, and when
the girl entered the diner alone and was shown to this vacant seat,
Farrel thrilled pleasurably.

"Three long, loud ones for you, young lady!" he soliloquized. "You
didn't care to eat at the same table with the brown beggar; so you came
to luncheon alone."

As their glances met, there was in Farrel's black eyes no hint of
recognition, for he possessed in full measure all of the modesty and
timidity of the most modest and timid race on earth where women are
concerned--the Irish--tempered with the exquisite courtesy of that race
for whom courtesy and gallantry toward woman are a tradition--the
Spanish of that all but extinct Californian caste known as the _gente_.

It pleased Farrel to pretend careful study of the menu. Although his
preferences in food were simple, he was extraordinarily hungry and knew
exactly what he wanted. For long months he had dreamed of a
porterhouse steak smothered in mushrooms, and now, finding that
appetizing viand listed on the menu, he ordered it without giving
mature deliberation to the possible consequences of his act. For the
past two months he had been forced to avoid, when dining alone, meats
served in such a manner as to necessitate firm and skilful manipulation
of a knife--and when the waiter served his steak, he discovered, to his
embarrassment, that it was not particularly tender nor was his knife
even reasonably sharp. Consequently, following an unsatisfactory
assault, he laid the knife aside and cast an anxious glance toward the
kitchen, into which his waiter had disappeared; while awaiting the aid
of this functionary, he hid his right hand under the table and gently
massaged the back of it at a point where a vivid red scar showed.

He was aware that the girl was watching him, and, with the fascination
peculiar to such a situation, he could not forbear a quick glance at
her. Interest and concern showed in the brown eyes, and she smiled
frankly, as she said:

"I very much fear, Mr. Ex-First Sergeant, that your steak constitutes
an order you are unable to execute. Perhaps you will not mind if I
carve it for you."

"Please do not bother about me!" he exclaimed. "The waiter will be
here presently. You are very kind, but--"

"Oh, I'm quite an expert in the gentle art of moth