“Damnation!” repeated Mr. Carr, “am I to understand that the only thing you can do for a living is to go about with a troupe of trained mice?”

“I’ve invented a machine,” observed the young man, modestly.  “It ought to be worth millions—­if you’d care to finance it.”

“The idea is utterly repugnant to me!” shouted her father.

The young man reddened.  “If you wouldn’t mind examining it—­” He drew from his pocket a small, delicately contrived bit of clockwork.  “This is the machine——­”

“I don’t want to see it!”

“You have seen it.  Do you mind sitting down a moment?  Be careful of that kitten!  Kindly take this chair.  Thank you.  Now, if you would be good enough to listen for ten minutes——­”

“I don’t want to be good enough!  Do you hear!”

“Yes, I hear,” said young Destyn, patiently.  “And as I was going to explain, the earth is circumscribed by wireless currents of electricity——­”

“I—­dammit, sir——­”

“But those are not the only invisible currents that are ceaselessly flowing around our globe!” pursued the young man, calmly.  “Do you see this machine?”

“No, I don’t!” snarled the other.

“Then—­” And, leaning closer, William Augustus Destyn whispered into Bushwyck Carr’s fat, red ear.

“What!!!”

“Certainly.”

“You can’t prove it!”

“Watch me.”

* * * * *

Ethelinda had dried her eyes.  Every few minutes she glanced anxiously at the little French clock over her easel.

“What on earth can they be doing?” she murmured.  And when the long hour struck she arose with resolution and knocked at the door.

“Come in,” said her father, irritably, “but don’t interrupt.  William and I are engaged in a very important business transaction.”

[Illustration:  ]

V

SACHARISSA

Treating of Certain Scientific Events Succeeding the Wedding Journey of William and Ethelinda

Sacharissa took the chair.  She knew nothing about parliamentary procedure; neither did her younger, married sister, Ethelinda, nor the recently acquired family brother-in-law, William Augustus Destyn.

“The meeting will come to order,” said Sacharissa, and her brother-in-law reluctantly relinquished his new wife’s hand—­all but one finger.

“Miss Chairman,” he began, rising to his feet.

The chair recognized him and bit into a chocolate.

“I move that our society be known as The Green Mouse, Limited.”

“Why limited?” asked Sacharissa.

“Why not?” replied her sister, warmly.

“Well, what does your young man mean by limited?”

“I suppose,” said Linda, “that he means it is to be the limit.  Don’t you, William?”

“Certainly,” said Destyn, gravely; and the motion was put and carried.