“But they ain’t on the job more ’n half the time,” he said, jealously.
“Yes, that’s so.”
His hand stole secretly, craftily skirting a cushion, to touch hers—which she withdrew, laughing:
“Hump-a! You go hold your artist’s hand!”
“Oh, Miss Nelly! When I told you about her myself!”
“Oh yes, of course.”
She was contrite, and they played Five Hundred animatedly all evening.
CHAPTER XVI
HE BECOMES MILDLY RELIGIOUS AND HIGHLY LITERARY
The hero of the one-act play at Hammerstein’s Victoria vaudeville theater on that December evening was, it appeared, a wealthy young mine-owner in disguise. He was working for the “fake mine promoter” because he loved the promoter’s daughter with a love that passed all understanding except that of the girls in the gallery. When the postal authorities were about to arrest the promoter our young hero saved him by giving him a real mine, and the ensuing kiss of the daughter ended the suspense in which Mr. Wrenn and Nelly, Mrs. Arty and Tom had watched the play from the sixth row of the balcony.
Sighing happily, Nelly cried to the group: “Wasn’t that grand? I got so excited! Wasn’t that young miner a dear?”