“‘I don’t care for athletics,’ he says, mild but firm.  ’They used to interest me somewhat, but not now.’

“The old man was crazy.  He’d heard about Willie’s literature leanin’s, and he give out that he’d never see a writer yet that wa’n’t a ‘sissy.’  Wanted us to fire Bearse right off, but we kept him, thanks to me.  If he’d seen the ‘sissy’ kick the ball once, same as I did, it might have changed his mind some.  He was passin’ along the end of the field when the gang was practicin’, and the ball come his way.  He caught it on the fly, and sent it back with his toe.  It went a mile, seemed so, whirlin’ and whizzin’.  Willie never even looked to see where it went; just kept on his course for the kitchen.

“The big sensation hit us on the fifth of October, right after supper.  Me and Peter T. and Jonadab was in the office, when down comes Henry, old Robinson’s man servant, white as a sheet and wringin’ his hands distracted.

“‘Oh, I say, Mr. Brown!’ says he, shakin’ all over like a quicksand.  ’Oh, Mr. Brown, sir!  Will you come right up to Mr. Sterz—­I mean Mr. Robinson’s room, please, sir!  ’E wants to see you gentlemen special.  ’Urry, please!  ‘Urry!’

“So we ‘’urried,’ wonderin’ what on earth was the matter.  And when we got to the Robinson rooms, there was Grace, lookin’ awful pale, and the old man himself ragin’ up and down like a horse mack’rel in a fish weir.

“Soon as papa sees us, he jumped up in the air, so’s to speak, and when he lit ’twas right on our necks.  His daughter, who seemed to be the sanest one in the lot, run and shut the door.

“‘Look here, you!’ raved the old gent, shakin’ both fists under Peter T.’s nose.  ’Didn’t you tell me this was a respectable hotel?  And ain’t we payin’ for respectability?’

“Peter admitted it, bein’ too much set back to argue, I cal’late.

“‘Yes!’ rages Robinson.  ’We pay enough for all the respectability in this state.  And yet, by the livin’ Moses!  I can’t go out of my room to spoil my digestion with your cussed dried-apple pie, but what I’m robbed!’

“‘Robbed!’ the three of us gurgles in chorus.

“’Yes, sir!  Robbed!  Robbed!  Robbed!  What do you think I came here for?  And why do I stay here all this time?  ’Cause I like it?  ’Cause I can’t afford a better place?  No, sir!  By the great horn spoon!  I come here because I thought in this forsaken hole I could get lost and be safe.  And now—­’

“He tore around like a water spout, Grace trying to calm him, and Henry and Suzette, the maid, groanin’ and sobbin’ accompaniments in the corner.  I looked at the dresser.  There was silver-backed brushes and all sorts of expensive doodads spread out loose, and Miss Robinson’s watch and a di’mond ring, and a few other knickknacks.  I couldn’t imagine a thief’s leavin’ all that truck, and I said so.

“‘Them?’ sputters Pa, frantic.  ’What the brimstone blazes do you think I care for them?  I could buy that sort of stuff by the car-load, if I wanted to.  But what’s been stole is—­Oh, get out and leave me alone!  You’re no good, the lot of you!’