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won't work。〃
Kernan turned to Woods with a diabolic smile。
〃I've got him going。 He believes me now。 He
didn't quite cover the transmitter with his hand when
he told somebody to call up Central on another 'phone
and get our number。 I'll give him just one more dig；
and then we'll make a 'get…away。'
〃Hello！ 。 。 。 Yes。 I'm here yet。 You
didn't think I'd run from such a little subsidized； turn…
coat rag of a newspaper； did you？ 。 。 。 Have
me inside of forty…eight hours？ Say； will you quit
being funny？ Now； you let grown men alone and at…
tend to your business of hunting up divorce cases
and street…car accidents and printing the filth and
scandal that you make your living by。 Good…by； old
boy sorry I haven't time to call on you。 I'd feel
perfectly safe in your sanctum asinorum。 Tra…la！〃
〃He's as mad as a cat that's lost a mouse；〃 said
Kernan； hanging up the receiver and coming out。
〃And now； Barney； my boy； we'll go to a show and
enjoy ourselves until a reasonable bedtime。 Four
hours' sleep for me； and then the west…bound。〃
The two dined in a Broadway restaurant。 Kernan
was pleased with himself。 He spent money like a
prince of fiction。 And then a weird and gorgeous
musical comedy engaged their attention。 Afterward
there was a late supper in a grillroom； with
champagne； and Kernan at the height of his com…
placency。
Half…past three in the morning found them in a
corner of an all…night cafe； Kernan still boasting in
a vapid and rambling way； Woods thinking moodily
over the end that had come to his usefulness as an
upholder of the law。
But； as he pondered； his eye brightened with a
speculative light。
〃I wonder if it's possible；〃 be said to himself； 〃I
won…der if it's pos…si…ble！
And then outside the cafe the comparative stillness
of the early morning was punctured by faint； uncer…
tain cries that seemed mere fireflies of sound； some
growing louder； some fainter； waxing and waning
amid the rumble of milk wagons and infrequent cars。
Shrill cries they were when near well…known cries
that conveyed many meanings to the ears of those of
the slumbering millions of the great city who waked
to hear them。 Cries that bore upon their significant；
small volume the weight of a world's woe and laugh…
ter and delight and stress。 To some； cowering be…
neath the protection of a night's ephemeral cover；
they brought news of the hideous； bright day； to
others； wrapped in happy sleep； they announced a
morning that would dawn blacker than sable night。
To many of the rich they brought a besom to sweep
away what had been theirs while the stars shone； to
the poor they brought another day。
All over the city the cries were starting up； keen
and sonorous； heralding the chances that the slip…
ping of one cogwheel in the machinery of time had
made； apportioning to the sleepers while they lay
at the mercy of fate； the vengeance； profit； grief；
reward and doom that the new figure in the calen…
dar had brought them。 Shrill and yet plaintive
were the cries； as if the young voices grieved that so
much evil and so little good was in their irresponsible
hands。 Thus echoed in the streets of the helpless
city the transmission of the latest decrees of the gods；
the cries of the newsboys the Clarion Call of the
Press。
Woods flipped a dime to the waiter； and said：
〃Get me a Morning Mars。〃
When the paper came he glanced at its first page；
and then tore a leaf out of his memorandum book
and began to write on it with the little old pencil。
〃What's the news？〃' yawned Kernan。
Woods flipped over to him the piece of writing：
〃The New York Morning Mars：
〃Please pay to the order of John Kernan the one thousand
dollars reward coming to me for his arrest and conviction。
〃BARNARD WOODS。〃
〃I kind of thought they would do that；〃 said
Woods； 〃when you were jollying them so hard。 Now；
Johnny； you'll come to the police station with me。〃
EXTRADITED FROM BOHEMIA
From near the village of Harmony； at the foot
of the Green Mountains； came Miss Medora Martin
to New York with her color…box and easel。
Miss Medora resembled the rose which the autum…
nal frosts had spared the longest of all her sister
blossoms。 In Harmony； when she started alone to
the wicked city to study art； they said she was a mad；
reckless； headstrong girl。 In New York； when she
first took her seat at a West Side boardinghouse
table； the boarders asked： 〃Who is the nice…looking
old maid？〃
Medora took heart； a cheap hall bedroom and two
art lessons a week from Professor Angelini； a retired
barber who had studied his profession in a Harlem
dancing academy。 There was no one to set her right；
for here in the big city they do it unto all of us。
How many of us are badly shaved daily and taught
the two…step imperfectly by ex…pupils of Bastien Le
Page and Gerome？ The most pathetic sight in New
York except the manners of the rush…hour crowds
is the dreary march of the hopeless army of Me…
diocrity。 Here Art is no benignant goddess； but
a Circe who turns her wooers into mewing Toms and
Tabbies who linger about the doorsteps of her abode；
unmindful of the flying brickbats and boot…jacks of
the critics。 Some of us creep back to our native vil…
lages to the skim…milk of 〃I told you so〃； but most
of us prefer to remain in the cold courtyard of our
mistress's temple； snatching the scraps that fall from
her divine table d'hote。 But some of us grow weary
at last of the fruitless service。 And then there are
two fates open to us。 We can get a job driving a
grocer's wagon； or we can get swallowed up in the
Vortex of Bohemia。 The latter sounds good； but the
former really pans out better。 For； when the grocer
pays us off we can rent a dress suit and the cap…
italized system of humor describes it best Get Bo…
hemia On the Run。
Miss Medora chose the Vortex and thereby fur…
nishes us with our little story。
Professor Angelini praised her sketches excessively。
Once when she had made a neat study of a horse…
chestnut tree in the park he declared she would be…
come a second Rosa Bonheur。 Again a great art…
ist has his moods he would say cruel and cutting
things。 For example； Medora had spent an after…
noon patiently sketching the statue and the archi…
tecture at Columbus Circle。 Tossing it aside with
a sneer； the professor informed her that Giotto had
once drawn a perfect circle with one sweep of his
hand。
One day it rained； the weekly remittance from Har…
mony was overdue； Medora had a headache； the pro…
fessor had tried to borrow two dollars from her； her
art dealer had sent back all her water…colors unsold；
and Mr。 Binkley asked her out to dinner。
Mr。 Binkley was the gay boy of the boarding…
house。 He was forty…nine； and owned a fishstall in
a downtown m