"Oh, hello, Antonio!" the Chief accosted him. "When did you get out of the bastile? You've shaved off your mustache. Trying to disguise yourself?"
"I am no crook," the Italian retorted. "I come to see de lady of de house."
"Oh, that explains your visit, eh?" the Chief said. Then he turned to Mrs. LaRauche. "Do you know this man?"
"Yes," she replied. "He's our former, and particularly objectionable, neighbor, who got ninety days in jail for mistreating the animals he was training."
"Excuse, ma'am," the Italian said, wriggling uncomfortably, "but dat is not true."
"No matter," she rejoined. "I dare say it never struck you, Mr. Ranzetti, that I was made very uneasy and unhappy by members of your menagerie roaming at large on our place."
There was no reply to this, I felt. By that time, I had the visitor all straightened out in my mind.
"At any rate, why have you come to see me?" Mrs. LaRauche continued.
"I don' know what to doa about it, lady," the Italian stammered; "dat's why I coma to you."
"About what?" she asked, her eyes twinkling good-humoredly.