"Here! Right back here!"

There was vibrant gladness in her tone. He came slowly toward them.

"My brother is not at home, so I came over. How select you are, with your

balcony!"

"Can you see the step?"

"Coming, with bells on."

K. had risen and pushed back his chair. His mind was working quickly.

Here in the darkness he could hold the situation for a moment. If he could

get Sidney into the house, the rest would not matter. Luckily, the balcony

was very dark.

"Is any one ill?"

"Mother is not well. This is Mr. Le Moyne, and he knows who you are very

well, indeed."

The two men shook hands.

"I've heard a lot of Mr. Le Moyne. Didn't the Street beat the Linburgs the

other day? And I believe the Rosenfelds are in receipt of sixty-five cents

a day and considerable peace and quiet through you, Mr. Le Moyne. You're

the most popular man on the Street."

"I've always heard that about YOU. Sidney, if Dr. Wilson is here to see

your mother--"

"Going," said Sidney. "And Dr. Wilson is a very great person, K., so be

polite to him."

Max had roused at the sound of Le Moyne's voice, not to suspicion, of

course, but to memory. Without any apparent reason, he was back in Berlin,

tramping the country roads, and beside him-"Wonderful night!"

"Great," he replied. "The mind's a curious thing, isn't it. In the

instant since Miss Page went through that window I've been to Berlin and

back! Will you have a cigarette?"

"Thanks; I have my pipe here."

K. struck a match with his steady hands. Now that the thing had come, he

was glad to face it. In the flare, his quiet profile glowed against the

night. Then he flung the match over the rail.

"Perhaps my voice took you back to Berlin."

Max stared; then he rose. Blackness had descended on them again, except

for the dull glow of K.'s old pipe.

"For God's sake!"

"Sh! The neighbors next door have a bad habit of sitting just inside the

curtains."

"But--you!"

"Sit down. Sidney will be back in a moment. I'll talk to you, if you'll

sit still. Can you hear me plainly?"

After a moment--"Yes."

"I've been here--in the city, I mean--for a year. Name's Le Moyne. Don't

forget it--Le Moyne. I've got a position in the gas office, clerical. I

get fifteen dollars a week. I have reason to think I'm going to be moved

up. That will be twenty, maybe twenty-two."




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