“They’re engaged, Anthony,” she said, softly.  “She has promised to marry our Richard.  On their way to the theatre there was a street blockade, and it was two hours before their cab could get out of it.

“And oh, brother Anthony, don’t ever boast of the power of money again.  A little emblem of true love—­a little ring that symbolised unending and unmercenary affection—­was the cause of our Richard finding his happiness.  He dropped it in the street, and got out to recover it.  And before they could continue the blockade occurred.  He spoke to his love and won her there while the cab was hemmed in.  Money is dross compared with true love, Anthony.”

“All right,” said old Anthony.  “I’m glad the boy has got what he wanted.  I told him I wouldn’t spare any expense in the matter if—­”

“But, brother Anthony, what good could your money have done?”

“Sister,” said Anthony Rockwall.  “I’ve got my pirate in a devil of a scrape.  His ship has just been scuttled, and he’s too good a judge of the value of money to let drown.  I wish you would let me go on with this chapter.”

The story should end here.  I wish it would as heartily as you who read it wish it did.  But we must go to the bottom of the well for truth.

The next day a person with red hands and a blue polka-dot necktie, who called himself Kelly, called at Anthony Rockwall’s house, and was at once received in the library.

“Well,” said Anthony, reaching for his chequebook, “it was a good bilin’ of soap.  Let’s see—­you had $5,000 in cash.”

“I paid out $300 more of my own,” said Kelly.  “I had to go a little above the estimate.  I got the express wagons and cabs mostly for $5; but the trucks and two-horse teams mostly raised me to $10.  The motormen wanted $10, and some of the loaded teams $20.  The cops struck me hardest—­$50 I paid two, and the rest $20 and $25.  But didn’t it work beautiful, Mr. Rockwall?  I’m glad William A. Brady wasn’t onto that little outdoor vehicle mob scene.  I wouldn’t want William to break his heart with jealousy.  And never a rehearsal, either!  The boys was on time to the fraction of a second.  It was two hours before a snake could get below Greeley’s statue.”

“Thirteen hundred—­there you are, Kelly,” said Anthony, tearing off a check.  “Your thousand, and the $300 you were out.  You don’t despise money, do you, Kelly?”

“Me?” said Kelly.  “I can lick the man that invented poverty.”

Anthony called Kelly when he was at the door.

“You didn’t notice,” said he, “anywhere in the tie-up, a kind of a fat boy without any clothes on shooting arrows around with a bow, did you?”

“Why, no,” said Kelly, mystified.  “I didn’t.  If he was like you say, maybe the cops pinched him before I got there.”

“I thought the little rascal wouldn’t be on hand,” chuckled Anthony.  “Good-by, Kelly.”

SPRINGTIME A LA CARTE