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THE MADNESS OF MAY
I didn't know it was your moon," he said.
[ Page 60
THE
MADNESS OF MAY
BY
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
FREDERIC DORR STEELE
Upon the morn they took their hones with the queen, and rode
a-maying in woods and meadows, as it pleased them.
The Age of Chivalry.
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1917
COPYBIOHT, 1917, BT
CHARLES SCBIBNER'S SONS
Published March, 1917
TO
MRS. CHARLES THOMAS KOUNTZE
2226890
ILLUSTRATIONS
"I didn't know it was your moon," he said
Frontispiece
FACING
PAGE
"The young person left in haste, that's clear
enough," remarked Hood 30
" I make it a rule never to deny food to any
applicant, no matter how unworthy. You
may remain" 122
" Throw up your hands, boys; it's no use ! " cried
Hood in mock despair 164
ILLY DEERING let himself into his
father's house near Radford Hills,
Westchester County, and with a nod to
Briggs, who came into the hall to take
his hat and coat, began turning over
the letters that lay on the table.
"Mr. Hood has arrived, sir," the
servant announced. "I put him in
the south guest-room."
Deering lifted his head with a jerk.
"Hood what Hood?"
"Mr. Hood is all I know, sir. He
said he was expected you had asked
him for the night. If there's a mis-
take-
Deering reached for his hat and
coat, which Briggs still held. His face
3
THE MADNESS OF MAY
whitened, and the outstretched hand
shook visibly. Briggs eyed him with
grave concern, then took a step toward
the stairway.
"If you wish, sir "
"Never mind, Briggs," Deering
snapped. "It's all right. I'd forgotten
I had a guest coming; that's all."
He opened a letter with assumed care-
lessness and held it before his eyes until
the door closed upon Briggs. Then his
jaws tightened. He struck his hands
together and mounted the steps dog-
gedly, as though prepared for a dis-
agreeable encounter.
All the way out on the train he had
feared that this might happen. The
long arm of the law was already clutch-
ing at his collar, but he had not reck-
oned with this quick retribution. The
4
THE MADNESS OF MAY
presence of the unknown man in the
house could be explained on no other
hypothesis than the discovery of his
theft of two hundred thousand dollars
in gilt-edged bonds from the banking-
house of Deering, Gaylord & Co. It
only remained for him to kill himself
and escape from the shame that would
follow exposure. He must do this at
once, but first he would see who had
been sent to apprehend him. Hood
was an unfamiliar name; he had never
known a Hood anywhere, he was con-
fident of that.
The house was ominously quiet.
Deering paused when he reached his
own room, glanced down the hall, then
opened the door softly, and fell back
with a gasp before the blaze of lights.
There, lost in the recesses of a com-
5
THE MADNESS OF MAY
fortable chair, with his legs thrown
across the mahogany table, sat a man
he had never seen before.
"Ah, Deering; very glad you've
come," murmured the stranger, glanc-
ing up unhurriedly from his perusal of
a newspaper.
He had evidently been reading for
some time, as the floor was littered with
papers. At this instant something in
the page before him caught his atten-
tion and he deftly extracted a quarter
of a column of text, pinched it with the
scissors' points and dropped it on a
pile of similar cuttings on the edge of
the table.
"Just a moment!" he remarked in
the tone of a man tolerant of interrup-
tions, "and do pardon me for mussing
up your room. I liked it better here
6
THE MADNESS OF MAY
than in the pink room your man gave
me no place there to put your legs !
Creature of habit; can't rest without
sticking my feet up."
He opened a fresh newspaper and ran
his eyes over the first page with the
trained glance of an expert exchange
reader.
"The Minneapolis papers are usually
worthless for my purposes, and yet
occasionally they print something I
wouldn't miss. I'm the best friend the
'buy your home paper' man has," he
ran on musingly, skimming the page
and ignoring Deering, who continued to
stare in stupefied amazement from the
doorway. "Ah!"
The scissors flashed and the unknown
added another item to his collection.
"That's all," he remarked with a
7
THE MADNESS OF MAY
sigh. He dropped his feet to the floor,
rose, and lazily stretched himself.
Tall, compactly built, a face weather-
beaten where the flesh showed above a
close-clipped brownish beard, and hair,
slightly gray, brushed back smoothly
from a broad forehead these items
Deering noted swiftly as he dragged
himself across the threshold.
"Really, a day like this would put
soul into a gargoyle," the stranger re-
marked, brushing the paper-shavings
from his trousers. "Motored up from
Jersey and had a grand time all the way.
I walk, mostly, but commandeer a ma-
chine for long skips. To learn how to
live, my dear boy, that's the great busi-
ness ! Not sure I've caught the trick,
but I'm working at it, with such feeble
talents as the gods have bestowed."
8
THE MADNESS OF MAY
He filled a pipe deftly from a canvas
bag, and drew the strings together with
white, even teeth.
This cool, lounging stranger was play-
ing a trick of some kind; Deering was
confident of this and furious at his utter
inability to cope with him. He clung
to the back of a chair, trembling with
anger.
"My name," the visitor continued,
tossing his match into an ash-tray, "is
Hood R. Hood. The lone initial might
suggest Robert or Roderigo, but if your
nursery library was properly stocked you
will recall a gentleman named Robin
Hood of Sherwood Forest. I don't
pretend to be a descendant far from
it; adopted the name out of sheer ad-
miration for one of the grandest figures
in all literature. Robin Hood, Don
9
THE MADNESS OF MAY
Quixote, and George Borrow are ru-
bricated saints in my calendar. By the
expression on your face I see that you
don't make me out, and I can't blame
you for thinking me insane; but, my
dear boy, such an assumption does me
a cruel wrong ! Briefly, I'm a hobo with
a weakness for good society, and yet a
friend of the under dog. I confess to a
passion for grand opera and lobster in
all its forms. Do you grasp the idea?"
Deering did not grasp it. The man
had protested his sanity, but Deering
had heard somewhere that a confident
belief in their mental soundness is a
common hallucination of lunatics. Still,
the stranger's steady gray eyes did not
encourage the suspicion that he was
mad. Deering's own reason, already
severely taxed, was unequal to the task
10
THE MADNESS OF MAY
of dealing with this assured and cheer-
ful Hood, who looked like a gentleman
but talked like a fool.
"For God's sake, who are you and
what do you want?" he demanded an-
grily.
Hood pushed him gently into a chair,
utterly ignoring his fury.
"What time do we dine? Seven-
thirty, I think your servant told me.
I shan't dress if you don't mind. Speak-
ing of clothes, that man of yours is a
very superficial observer; let me in on
the strength of my automobile coat, and
I suppose the machine impressed him
too. If he'd looked under the surface
at these poor rags, I'd never have got
by ! That illustrates an ancient habit
of the serving class in thinking all is
gold that glitters. Snobs ! Deplorable
11
THE MADNESS OF MAY
weakness ! Let's talk like sensible men
till the gong sounds."
Deering shook himself impatiently.
This absurd talk, carefully calculated,
he assumed, to prolong his misery, had
torn his nerves to shreds. Hood sat
down close to him in a straight-backed
chair, crossed his legs, and thrust his
hands into his coat pockets.
"My dear boy, in the name of all the
gods at once, cheer up ! To satisfy your
very natural curiosity, I'll say that I
fancied you were in trouble and needed
a strong arm to sustain you in your
hour of trial. Laudable purpose ah,
I see you begin to feel more comfort-
able. I have every intention of play-
ing the big brother to you for a few
hours, weeks, or months, or till you come
out of your green funk. You wonder,
12
THE MADNESS OF MAY
of course, what motive I have for in-
truding in this way lying to your ser-
vant, and making myself at home in your
house. The motive, so far as there is
any, is the purely selfish one of finding
enjoyment for myself, while incidentally
being of service to you. And you're
bound to admit that that's a fair offer
in this world of greed and selfishness.
The great trouble with most of us is
that the flavor so soon wears out of the
chewing-gum. Do you remember the
last time you had a good, hearty laugh?
I'll wager you don't!"
Deering scowled, but Hood continued
to expound his philosophy:
"The world's roaring along at such a
rate we can't find happiness anywhere
but in the dictionary. It's worrying me
to death, just the spectacle of the fool
13
THE MADNESS OF MAY
old human race never getting a chance
to sit down by the side of the road and
pick the pebbles out of its shoes. Every-
body's feet hurt and everybody's carry-
ing a blood pressure that's bound to
blow the roof off. I tell you, Deering,
civilization hasn't got anything on the
gypsies but soap and sanitary plumbing.
I'm just forty-five and for years I've
kept in motion most of the time. Alone
of great travellers William Jennings
Bryan has reviewed more water-tanks
than I. I find the same delight in Butte,
Peoria, Galesburg, Des Moines, Ashta-
bula, and Bangor, in Tallahassee, Bir-
mingham, and Waco, that others seek in
London, Paris, and Vienna and it's
all American stuff business of flags fly-
ing and Constitution being chanted off-
stage by a choir of a million voices !
14
THE MADNESS OF MAY
I've lived in coal-camps in Colorado, win-
tered with Maine lumbermen, hopped
the ties with hobos, and enjoyed the
friendship of thieves. I don't mean to
brag, but I suppose there isn't a really
first-rate crook in the country that I
don't know. And down in the under-
world they look on me if I may mod-
estly say it as an old reliable friend.
I've found these contacts immensely
instructive, as you may imagine. Don't
get nervous ! I never stole anything in
my life."
He thrust his fingers into his inside
waistcoat pocket, and drew out a packet
of bills, neatly folded, and opened them
for Deering's wondering inspection.
"I beg of you don't jump to the con-
clusion that I roll in wealth. Money is
poison to me; I hate the very smell of
15
THE MADNESS OF MAY
it haven't a cent of my own in the
world. This belongs to my chauffeur
carry it as a precaution merely."
Hood relighted his pipe, and dreamily
watched the match blacken and curl in
his fingers.
"Your chauffeur?" Deering sug-
gested, like a child prompting a parent
in the midst of an absorbing story.
"Oh, yes! Cassowary "- he pro-
nounced the word lingeringly as though
to prolong his pleasure in it "real name
doesn't matter. His father rolled up a
big wad cutting the forest primeval into
lumber, and left it to Cassowary mat-
ter of a million or two. Cassowary had
been driven to drink by an unhappy
love-affair when I plucked him as a
brand from burning Broadway. Nice
chap, but too much self-indulgence;
16
THE MADNESS OF MAY
never had any discipline. He's pretty
well broken in now, and as we seemed
to need each other we follow the long
trail together. Manage to hit it off
first-rate. He's still mooning over the
girl; tough that he can't have the only
thing in the world he wants ! Obstrep-
erous parent adumbrated in the fore-
ground, shotgun in hand. I don't allow
Cassowary to carry any money would
rather risk contamination myself than
expose him to it. If he stays with me
for a few years, his accumulated in-
come will roll up so that he can en-
dow orchestras and art museums ah 1
through the prairie towns of the West,
and become a great benefactor of man-
kind."
Hood's story was manifestly absurd,
and yet he invested it with a certain
17
THE MADNESS OF MAY
plausibility. Even Cassowary, as Hood
described him, seemed a wholly credible
person, and the bills Hood had drawn
from his pocket bore all the marks of
honest money.
Dinner was announced, and Hood
lounged down-stairs and into the din-
ing-room arm in arm with Deering. A
tapestry on the wall immediately at-
tracted his attention. After pecking at
the edges with his long, slender fingers
he turned to his seat with a sigh.
"Preposterous imitation! I dare say
it was passed off as a real Gobelin, but
I know the artist who fakes those things
a New Jersey genius and very smooth
at the game.'*
Deering had never paid the slightest
attention to the tapestry, which had
hung in the room for a dozen years,
18
THE MADNESS OF MAY
but he apologized in a vein of irony
for its spuriousness, and steeled himself
against complaints of the food; but
after tasting the soup Hood praised it
with enthusiasm. He was wholly at
ease, and his table manners were be-
yond criticism. He seemed indifferent
to the construction Deering or the be-
wildered Briggs might place upon his
confessions, to which he now glibly ad-
dressed himself.
"A couple of years ago I was roaming
through the Western provinces with a
couple of old friends who persist
against my advice, I assure you in the
childish pastime of safe-blowing. We
got pinched en bloc, and as I was broke
I had to sponge on the yeggs to get me
out of jail."
Briggs dropped a plate and Deering
19
THE MADNESS OF MAY
frowned at the interruption. Hood went
on tranquilly:
"However, I was immured only three
weeks, and the experience was broad-
ening. That was in Omaha, and I'll
say without fear of contradiction that
the Omaha jail is one of the most com-
fortable in the Missouri Valley. I rec-
ommend it, Deering, without reservation,
to any one in search of tranquillity.
After they turned me loose I introduced
myself to an old college classmate fra-
ternity brother no danger of exposure.
I had him put me up at the Omaha
Club, and then I gave a dinner to the
United States commissioner who heard
my case, the district attorney, and the
United States marshal. I wanted to
ask the yeggs too it seemed only square
but the judge was out of town, and
20
THE MADNESS OF MAY
the marshal was afraid his Honor might
cite him for contempt if he brought his
prisoners to my party. These things
probably seem to you most banal, but
take it all round I do manage to keep
amused. Of course, now and then I
pay more for my fun than it's worth.
Last summer I mixed in with some
moonshiners in Tennessee. Moonshining
is almost a lost art, and I wanted the
experience before the business became
extinct. An unsociable lot, the lone still
boys, and wouldn't warm up to me a
bit. The unhappy result was a bullet
through my left lung. I got patched up
by a country doctor, but had to spend
two months in a Philadelphia hospital
for the finishing touches."
Deering's uneasiness increased. This
man who spoke so blithely of iinprison-
21
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ment and bullets in his lung must have
a motive for his visit. With a jerk of
the head he sent Briggs from the room.
"This is all very amusing," he re-
marked with decision as he put down his
salad-fork, "but will you pardon me for
asking just why you came here? I
have your own word for it that your
favorite an u consorting with
criminals, and that money you flashed
may have been stolen for all I know ! If
you have any business with me "
"My dear boy, I don't blame you
for growing restless," replied Hood ami-
ably. "Of course, I know that your fa-
ther and sister are away, and that you
are alone. Your family history I am
pretty familiar with; your antecedents
and connections are excellent. Your
mother, who died four years ago, was of
22
THE MADNESS OF MAY
the Rhode Island Ranger family and
there is no better blood in America.
Your sister Constance won the West-
chester golf championship last year I
learned that from the newspapers, which
I read with a certain passion, as you
have observed. If I hadn't thought you
needed company my company particu-
larly I shouldn't have landed on your
door-step. You dined Monday night at
the Hotel Pendragon at a table in
the corner on the Fifth Avenue side,
and your dejection touched me deeply.
Afterward you went down to the raths-
keller, and sat there all alone drinking
stuff you didn't need. It roused my ap-
prehensions. I feared things were going
badly with you, and I thought I'd give
you a chance to unburden your soul to
me, Hood, the enchanted hobo "
23
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"For sheer cheek " began Deering
hotly.
Hood lifted his hand deprecatingly.
"Please don't!" he remarked sooth-
ingly. "With the tinkle of a bell you
can call your man and have me bounced.
I repacked my bag after taking a bath
in your very comfortable guest-room,
and we can part immediately. But let
us be sensible, Deering; just between
ourselves, don't you really need me?"
His tone was ingratiating, his manner
the kindest. Deering had walked the
streets for two days trying to bring
himself to the point of confessing his
plight to one of a score of loyal friends
men he had known from prep-school
days, and on through college: active,
resourceful, wealthy young fellows who
would risk much to help him and yet
24
THE MADNESS OF MAY
in his fear and misery he had shrunk
from approaching them. Hood, he was
now convinced, was not a detective come
to arrest him; in fact his guest's sym-
pathies and connections seemed to lie
on the other side of the law's barricade.
They had coffee in the living-room,
where Hood, inspired by specimens of
the work of several of the later French
painters, discussed art with sophistica-
tion. Deering observed him intently.
There was something immensely attrac-
tive in Hood's face; his profile, clean-cut
as a cameo, was thoroughly masculine;
his head was finely moulded, and his
gray eyes were frank and responsive.
"It's possible," said Deering, after
a long silence in which Hood smoked
meditatively, "that you may be able to
help me."
25
THE MADNESS OF MAY
On a sudden impulse he rose and put
out his hand.
"Thank you," said Hood gravely,
"but don't tell me unless you really
want to."
II
after all the bother of stealing
two hundred thousand dollars'
worth of negotiable securities you lost
them!" Hood remarked when Deering
ended his recital.
Deering frowned and nodded. Not
only had he told his story to this utter
stranger, but he had found infinite relief
in doing so.
"Let us go over the points again,"
said Hood calmly. : 'You set down your
suitcase containing two hundred K. &
L. Terminal 5's in the Grand Central
Station, turned round to buy a ticket
to Boston, and when you picked up the
bag it was the wrong one ! Such in-
27
THE MADNESS OF MAY
stances are not rare; the strong fam-
ily resemblance between suitcases has
caused much trouble in this world. Only
the other day a literary friend told me
the magazine editors have placed a ban
on mixed suitcases as a fictional device;
but of course that doesn't help us any
in this affair. I've known a few pro-
fessional suitcase lifters. One of the
smoothest is Sammy Tibbots, but he's
doing time in Joliet, so we may as well
eliminate Sammy."
"No, no!" Deering exclaimed im-
patiently. "It was a girl who did the
trick! She was at the local ticket win-
dow, just behind me. You see, I was
nervous and after I bought my ticket it
dropped to the floor, and while I was
picking it up that girl grabbed my suit-
case and beat it for the gate."
28
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Enter the girl," Hood muttered.
"'Twas ever thus! Of course, you tele-
graphed ahead and stopped her that
was the obvious course."
"There you go! If I'd done that,
there wouldn't have been any pub-
licity; oh, no!" Deering replied con-
temptuously. "People don't carry big
bunches of bonds around in suitcases;
they send 'em by registered express.
Of course, if the girl was honest she'd
report the matter to the railroad officials
and they'd notify the police, and they'd
be looking for the thief ! And that's
just what I don't want."
"Of course not," Hood assented
readily. "That was Wednesday and
this is Friday, and you haven't seen
any ads in the papers about a suitcase
full of bonds? Well, I'd hardly have
29
THE MADNESS OF MAY
missed such a thing myself. What did
the girl look like?"
"Small, dressed in blue and wearing
a white veil. She made a lively sprint
for the gate, and climbed into the last
car just as the train started. The con-
ductor yelled to her not to try it, but
the porter jumped out and pushed her
up the steps."
At Hood's suggestion Deering brought
the suitcase that had been exchanged
for his own, and disclosed its contents
a filmy night-dress, a silk shirt-waist,
a case of ivory toilet articles bearing a
complicated monogram, a bottle of
violet- water, hah* empty, a pair of silk
stockings, a novel, a pair of patent-
leather pumps, all tumbled together.
'The young person left in haste,
that's clear enough," remarked Hood, bal-
30
' The young person left in haste, that's clear enough," remarked Hood.
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ancing one of the pumps in his hand.
'Bonet, Paris,' " he read, squinting at
the lining. "Most deplorable that we
have both slippers; one would have
been a clew, and we could have spent
the rest of our lives measuring foot-
prints. Very nice slippers, though;
fastidious young person, I'll wager. The
monogram on these trinkets is of no
assistance it might be R. G. T., or T.
G. R., or G. R. T. Monograms are a
nuisance, a delusion, a snare!"
Deering flung the faintly scented
violet-tinted toilet-case into the bag re-
sentfully.
"The silly little fool; why didn't she
mind what she was doing!" he ex-
claimed angrily, "and not steal other
people's things !"
"Pardon me," Hood remonstrated,
31
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"but from your story the less you speak
of stealing the better. But it isn't clear
yet why you sneaked the bonds. Your
father has a reputation for generosity;
you're an only son and slated to suc-
ceed him in the banking-house. Just
what was your idea in starting for Bos-
ton with the loot?"
"It was to help Ned Ranscomb, an
old pal of mine," Deering blurted
"one of the best .fellows on earth, who
has pulled me out of a lot of holes. He'd
taken options on Mizpah Copper for
more than he could pay for and fell
on my neck to help him out. And the
rotten part of it is that I can't find him
anywhere ! I've telephoned and tele-
graphed all over creation, but he's fallen
off the earth ! I tell you everything
from the start has gone wrong. I guess
32
THE MADNESS OF MAY
I didn't tell you that I already had a
couple of hundred thousand in Mizpah
all I could put up personally, and
now I've lost the two hundred thousand
I stole, and Ned's got cold feet and
drowned himself, and here I'm talking
about it to a man who may be a crook
for all I know!"
"This disappearance of Ranscomb has
a suspicious look," remarked Hood, ig-
noring the fling. "Either money or a
woman, of course."
"Ranscomb," Deering retorted sav-
agely, "is all business and never fools
with women. And you can bet that
with this big copper deal on he wouldn't
waste time on any girl that ever was
born."
"Human beings are as we find them,"
observed Hood judicially, "but you're
33
THE MADNESS OF MAY
entirely too tragic about this whole
business. If it isn't comedy, it's noth-
ing. I'll wager the girl who skipped
with your stolen boodle has a sense of
humor. The key-note to her character
is in this novel she grabbed as she
hastily packed her bag 'The Madness
of May.' That's one of the drollest
books ever written. A story like that is
a boon to mankind; it kept me chuck-
ling all night. Haven't read it? Well,
the heroine excused herself from a din-
ner-table that was boring her to death,
ran to her room and packed a suitcase,
and that was the last her friends saw of
her for some time. Along about this
season it's in the blood of healthy human
beings to pine for clean air and the open
road. It's the wanderlust that's in all
of us, old and young alike. It's possible
34
THE MADNESS OF MAY
that the young lady who ran off with
your bonds felt the spring madness and
determined to hit the trail as the girl did
in that yarn. Finding herself possessed
of a lot of bonds belonging to a stranger,
I dare say she is badly frightened. Put
yourself in that girl's place, Deering
imagine her feelings, landing somewhere
after a hurried journey, opening her
suitcase to chalk her nose, and finding
herself a thief !"
"Rot!" sniffed Deering angrily.
One moment he distrusted Hood; the
next his heart warmed to him. At the
table the light-hearted adventurer had
kept him entertained and amused with
his running comment on books, public
characters, the world's gold supply, and
scrapes he had been in, without dropping
any clew to his identity. He seemed to
35
THE MADNESS OF MAY
be a veritable encyclopaedia of places;
apparently there was not a town in the
United States that he hadn't visited,
and he spoke of exclusive clubs and
thieves' dens in the same breath. But
Deering's hopes of gaining practical aid
in the search for the lost bonds was
rapidly waning.
"There's no use being silly about
this; I'm going to telephone to a detec-
tive agency and tell them to send out
a good man, right away to-night
"As you please," Hood assented, "but
if you do, you'll regret it to your last
hour. I know the whole breed, and you
may count on their making a mess of
it. And consider for a moment that
what you propose means putting a hired
bloodhound on the trail of a girl who
probably never harmed a kitten in her
36
THE MADNESS OF MAY
life. It would be rotten caddishness to
send a policeman after her. It isn't
done, Deering; it isn't done ! Of course,
there's not much chance that the sleuths
would ever come within a hundred miles
of her, but what if they found her ! You
are a gentleman, Deering, and that's not
the game for you to play."
" Then tell me a better one ! In ten
days at the farthest father will be back
and what am I going to say to him
how am I going to explain breaking
into his safety box and stealing those
bonds?"
"You can't explain it, of course, and
it's rather up to you, son, to put 'em
back. Every hour you spend talking
about it is wasted time. That girl's
had your suitcase two days, and it's
your duty to find her. Something must
37
THE MADNESS OF MAY
have happened or she'd have turned it
back to the railroad company. Per-
haps she's been arrested as a thief and
thrown into jail ! Again, her few effects
point to a degree of prosperity she's
not a girl who would steal for profit; I'll
swear to that. We must find that girl !
We'll toss a slipper and start off the
way the toe points."
Indifferent to Deering's snort of dis-
gust, Hood was already whirling the
slipper in the air.
"Slightly northeast! There you are,
Deering the clear pointing of Fate !
The girl wasn't going far or she wouldn't
have been in the local ticket line, and
even a lady in haste packs more stuff
for a long journey. We'll run up to
the Barton Arms an excellent inn, and
establish headquarters. The girl who
38
THE MADNESS OF MAY
danced off with your two hundred thou-
sand is probably around there some-
where, bringing up her tennis for the
first tournaments of the season. Let's
be moving; a breath of air will do you
good."
"That's all you can do about it, is
it?" demanded Deering. "Let me tell
my whole story put myself in your
power, and now the best you can do is
to flip a slipper to see which way to
start!"
"Just as good a way as any," re-
marked Hood amiably.
He pressed the button, ordered his
car, and then led the way back to Deer-
ing's room.
"Throw some things into a bag.
You'll soon forget your sordid money
affairs and begin to live, and you'd
39
THE MADNESS OF MAY
better be prepared for anything that
turns up. I'll fold the coats; some old
fishing-togs for rough work and jails, and
even your dress suit may come in handy."
He fell to work, folding the suits
neatly, while Deering moved about like
a man in a trance, assembling linen and
toilet articles.
"Something tells me we're going to
have a pretty good time," continued
Hood musingly. "I'll show you untold
kingdoms, things that never were on
sea or land. We shall meet people worn
with the world-old struggle for things
they don't need, and who are out in the
tender May air looking for happiness
the only business, my dear boy, that's
really worth while. And you'll be sur-
prised, son, to find how many such
people there are."
40
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Ah, you're ready, Cassowary!" re-
marked Hood as they stepped out of
the side door where a big touring-car
was drawn up in the driveway. "Just
a moment till I get my stick."
Briggs had placed their bags in the
car, and Deering had a moment in which
to observe the chauffeur, who stood erect
and touched his cap. Hood's protege
proved to be a tall, dark, well-knit young
fellow dressed in a well-fitting chauffeur's
costume.
"It's a good night for a run," Deering
suggested, eying the man in the light
from the door.
"Fine, sir."
"I hope the people in the house took
good care of you."
"Very good, sir."
There was nothing in Cassowary's
41
THE MADNESS OF MAY
voice or manner to indicate that he was
the possessor of the fortune to which
Hood had referred so lightly. Deering's
hastily formed impressions of Hood's
chauffeur were wholly agreeable and sat-
isfying.
Hood, lingering in the hall, could be
heard warning Briggs against the further
accumulation of fat. He recommended
a new system of reducing, and gave the
flushed and stuttering butler the name of
a New York specialist in dietetics whom
he advised him to consult without de-
lay.
The chauffeur's lips twitched and,
catching Deering's eye, he winked. Deer-
ing tapped his forehead. Cassowary
shook his head.
"Don't you believe it!" he ejaculated
with spirit.
42
THE MADNESS OF MAY
At this moment Hood appeared on the
steps, banging his recovered stick noisily
as he descended.
"The Barton Arms, Cassowary," he
ordered, and they set off at a lively clip.
43
Ill
the steps of the Barton Arms an
hour later Hood and Deering ran
into two men who were just leaving the
inn. Hood greeted them heartily as old
acquaintances and remained talking to
them while Deering went to ask for
rooms.
"The suspicions of those fellows al-
ways tickle me," he remarked as he
joined Deering at the desk, where he
scrawled "R. Hood, Sherwood ville," on
the register. "Detectives rather good
as the breed goes, but not men of true
vision. Now and then I've been able
to give them a useful hint the slightest,
mind you, and only where I could divert
suspicion from some of my friends in
44
THE MADNESS OF MAY
the underworld. I always try to be of
assistance to predatory genius; there are
clever crooks and stupid ones; the kind
who stoop to vulgar gun-work when their
own stupidity gets them into a tight
pinch don't appeal to me. My artistic
sensibilities are affronted by clumsy
work."
"Perhaps " Deering suggested with
a hasty glance at the door "maybe
they're looking for me !"
"Bless you, no," Hood replied as
they followed a boy with their bags;
"nothing so intelligent as that. On
the contrary" he paused at the landing
and laid his hand impressively on Deer-
ing's arm "on the contrary, they're
looking for me I "
He went on with a chuckle and a
shake of the head, as though the thought
45
THE MADNESS OF MAY
of being pursued by detectives gave him
the keenest pleasure. When he reached
their rooms he sat down and struck his
knee sharply and chuckled again. Deer-
ing turned frowningly for an explana-
tion of his mirth.
"Oh, don't bother about those chaps!
I repeat, that they are looking for me,
but" he knit his fingers behind his
head and grinned "they don't know
it!"
"Don't know you are you!" ex-
claimed Deering.
;< You never said a truer word ! More
than that, they're not likely to ! There
are things, son, I Hood, the frankest
of mortals can't tell even you ! I,
Hood, the inexplicable; Hood, the prince
of tramps, the connoisseur in all the
arts even I must have my secrets;
46
THE MADNESS OF MAY
but in time, my dear boy, in time you
shall know everything ! But there's work
before us ! The long arm of coincidence
beckons us. We shall test for ourselves
all the claptrap of the highest-priced
novelists."
Deering walked to the window and
stared out at the landscape, then strode
toward Hood angrily.
"I don't like this !" he wailed despair-
ingly. 'You promised to help me find
those stolen bonds, and now you're
talking like a lunatic again. If I can't
find the bonds, I've got to find Rans-
comb, and get back that first two hun-
dred thousand I gave him. I can't
stand this detectives waiting for us
wherever we stop, and you babbling
rot rot " Words failed him; he
clinched his hands and glared.
47
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Don't bluster, son, or I shall grow
peevish," Hood replied tolerantly. "At
the present moment I feel like taking a
walk under the mystical May stars.
The night invites the soul to medita-
tion; the stars may have the answer
to all our perplexities. Stop fretting
about your bonds and your friend Rans-
comb; very likely he's busted, clean
broke; that's what usually happens to
fellows who take money from their
friends and put it into the metals. Pos-
sibly he swallowed poison, and went to
sleep forever just to escape your wrath.
Let us take counsel of the heavens and
try to forget your sins. We must still
move the way the slipper pointed
northeast. The road bends away from
the inn just right for a fresh start. We
depart, we skip, we are on our way, my
dear boy!"
48
THE MADNESS OF MAY
They had walked nearly a mile when
Deering announced that he was tired,
and refused to go farther. He clambered
upon a stone wall at the roadside. On
a high ridge some distance away and
etched against the stars was a long,
low house.
"Splendid type of bungalow," Hood
commented, throwing his legs over the
wall. "I'm glad you have an eye for
nice effects the roof makes a pretty
line against the stars, and those pines
beyond add a touch a distinct touch.
Bungalows should always be planned
with a view to night effects; too bad
architects don't always consider little
points like that."
Deering growled angrily. Suddenly
as his eyes gazed over the long, sloping
meadow that rose to the house he started
and laid his hand on Hood's knee.
49
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Steady, steady! Always give a
ghost a chance," murmured Hood.
If the figure that danced across the
meadow was a ghost, it was an agile
one, and its costume represented a rad-
ical departure from the traditional garb
of spirits doomed to walk the night.
"A boy, kicking up before he goes to
bed," suggested Deering, forgetting his
sorrows for the moment as he con-
templated the dancing apparition.
"In a clown's suit, if I'm any judge,"
said Hood, jumping down from the wall
and moving cautiously up the slope.
The dancing figure suddenly darted away
through a clump of trees.
"Of course," remarked Hood when
they had reached the level where the
figure had executed its fantastic gyra-
tions, "of course, it's none of our affair;
50
THE MADNESS OF MAY
but, in that story I was telling you about,
the heroine danced around at night in
strange costumes scaring people to death.
I'm not saying this ghost has read that
book I'm merely stating a fact."
They found a path that zigzagged
across the meadow and followed it to
the edge of a ravine. Below they heard
the ripple of running water; and as an
agreeable accompaniment some one was
whistling softly.
In a moment the rattle of loosened
gravel caused them to drop down by
the path. The pantalooned figure came
up, still whistling, and paused for a
moment to take breath. Deering, throw-
ing himself back from the path, grasped
a bush. The twigs rattled noisily, and
with a frightened "Oh!" the clown
darted away, nimbly and fleetly. They
51
THE MADNESS OF MAY
followed a white blur in the starlight
for an instant and heard the patter of
light feet.
"A girl," whispered Deering.
"I believe you are right," remarked
Hood, feeling about in the grass, "and
here's a part of her costume." He
picked up something white and held it
to his face. "She dropped her clown's
cap when you began shaking the scenery.
I seem to remember that a girl's hair is
sweet like that ! In old times the
clown's cap was supposed to possess
magic. Son, we have begun well ! A
girl masquerading, happy victim of the
May madness this is the jolliest thing
I've struck in years a girl, out dancing
all by her lonesome under the stars
Columbine playing Harlequin!"
"We might as well be off," he added,
52
THE MADNESS OF MAY
relighting his pipe. "We frightened her
ladyship, and she will dance no more
to-night. However, we have her cap,
which points the way for to-morrow's
work."
'You're going to hang around here
watching a girl cut monkey-shines!"
moaned Deering. "You haven't for-
gotten what we're looking for, have
you!" he demanded, shaking his fist in
Hood's face.
"Once more, be calm! Don't you
see that you're on the verge of a new
'Midsummer Night's Dream'; that the
world's tired of work and gone back to
play ! Don't talk like a tired business
man whose wife has dragged him to see
one of Ibsen's frolics 'Rosmersholm,'
for example where they talk for three
hours and then jump in the well ! The
53
THE MADNESS OF MAY
fact that there's one girl left in the
world to dance under stars ought to
hearten you for anything. We don't
find in this world the things we're look-
ing for, Deering; we've got to be ready
for surprises. I won't say that that's
the girl who ran off with your bonds;
all I can say is that she's as likely to be
the one as any girl I can think of. Tut !
Don't imagine I don't sympathize with
you in your troubles; but forget them,
that's the ticket. This will do for to-
night. We'd better go back to the
Barton and to bed."
He yawned sleepily and started toward
the road. Deering caught him by the
arm.
"I was just thinking " he began.
"Thinking is a bad habit, my boy.
Thought is the curse of the world. The
54
THE MADNESS OF MAY
less thinking we do the better off we
are. Down at Pass Christian last winter
I sat under a tree for a solid month and
never thought a think. Most profitable
time I ever spent in my life. Camped
with a sneak-thief who was making a
tour of the Southern resorts nice chap;
must tell you about him sometime."
He chuckled as though the recollec-
tion of his larcenous companion pleased
him tremendously.
"I don't believe I'll go back to the
Barton just yet," Deering suggested
timidly. "It's possible, you know, that
that girl might
:< You've got it!" exclaimed Hood
eagerly, clapping his hands upon Deer-
ing's shoulders. "The spell is taking
hold ! Wait here a thousand years if
you like for that kid to come back, and
55
THE MADNESS OF MAY
don't bother about me. But cut out
your vulgar bond twaddle, and don't
ask her if she stole your suitcase ! As
like as not she'll lead you to the end of
the rainbow, and show you a meal sack
bulging with red, red gold. Here's her
cap better keep it for good luck."
Deering stood, with the clown's cap
in his hand, staring after Hood's retreat-
ing figure. It was not wholly an illusion
that he had experienced a change of
some sort, and he wondered whether
there might not be something in Hood's
patter about the May madness. At
any rate, his troubles had slipped from
him, and he was conscious of a new and
delightful sense of freedom. Moreover,
he had been kidnapped by the oddest
man he had ever met, and he didn't
care!
56
IV
"OEYOND the bungalow rose a dark
-*-^ strip of woodland, and suddenly, as
Deering's eyes caught sight of it, he be-
came aware that the moon, which had
not appeared before that night, seemed
to be lingering cosily among the trees.
Even a victim of May madness hardly
sees moons where they do not exist, but
to all intents and purpose this was a
moon, a large round moon, on its way
down the horizon in the orderly fashion
of elderly moons. He turned toward
the road, then glanced back quickly to
make sure his eyes were not playing
tricks upon him. The moon was still
there, blandly staring. His powers of
orientation had often been tested; on
57
THE MADNESS OF MAY
hunting and fishing trips he had ranged
the wilderness without a compass, and
never come to grief. He was sure that
this huge orb was in the north, where
no moon of decent habits has any right
to be.
With his eyes glued to this phenom-
enon, he advanced up the slope. When
he reached the crest of the meadow the
moon still hung where he had first seen
it a most unaccountable moon that
apparently lingered to encourage his in-
vestigations.
He jumped a wall that separated the
meadow from the woodland, and ad-
vanced resolutely toward the lunar mys-
tery. He found Stygian darkness in
among the pines: the moon, consider-
ing its size, shed amazingly little light.
He crept toward it warily, and in a mo-
58
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ment stood beneath the outward and
visible form of a moon cleverly con-
trived of barrel staves and tissue-paper
with a lighted lantern inside, and thrust
into the crotch of a tree.
As he contemplated it something
struck him something, he surmised, that
had been flung by mortal hand, and a
pine-cone caught in his waistcoat collar.
"Please don't spoil my moon," piped
a voice out of the darkness. "It's a
lot of trouble to make a moon !"
Walking cautiously toward the wall,
he saw, against the star dusk of the open,
the girl in clown costume who had
danced in the meadow. She sat the
long way of the wall, her knees clasped
comfortably, and seemed in nowise dis-
turbed by his appearance.
"I beg your pardon," he said, "but
59
I didn't know it was your moon. I
thought it was just the regular old
moon that had got lost on the way
home."
"Oh, don't apologize. I rather hoped
somebody would come up to have a
look at it; but you'd better run along
now. This is private property, you
know."
"Thanks for the hint," he remarked.
"But on a night when moons hang in
trees you can't expect me to be scared
away so easily. And besides, I'm an
outlaw," he ended in a tone meant to
be terrifying.
She betrayed neither surprise nor fear,
but laughed and uttered a "Really!"
that was just such a "really" as any
well-bred girl might use at a tea, or
anywhere else that reputable folk con-
60
THE MADNESS OF MAY
gregate, to express faint surprise. Her
way of laughing was altogether charm-
ing. A girl who donned a clown's garb
for night prowling and manufactured
moons for her own amusement could
not have laughed otherwise, he re-
flected.
"A burglar?" she suggested with mild
curiosity.
"Not professionally; but I'm seriously
thinking of going in for it. What do you
think of burgling as a career?"
"Interesting rather I should think,"
she replied after a moment's hesitation,
as though she were weighing his sug-
gestion carefully.
"And highway robbery appeals to
me rather. It's more picturesque, and
you wouldn't have to break into houses.
I think I'd rather work in the open."
61
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"The chances of escape might be
better," she admitted; "but you needn't
try the bungalow down there, for there's
nothing in it worth stealing. I give you
my word for that !"
"Oh, I hadn't thought of the bunga-
low. I had it in mind to begin by hold-
ing up a motor. Nobody's doing that
sort of thing just now."
"Capital!" she murmured pleasantly,
as though she found nothing extraor-
dinary in the idea. "So you're really
new at the game."
"Well, I've stolen before, if that's
what you mean, but I didn't get much
fun out of it. I suppose after the first
fatal plunge the rest will come easier."
"I dare say that's true," she assented.
There was real witchery in the girl's
light, murmurous laugh.
62
THE MADNESS OF MAY
It seemed impossible to surprise her;
she was taking him as a matter of course
as though sitting on a wall at night,
and talking to a strange young man
about stealing was a familiar experi-
ence.
"I've joined Robin Hood's band," he
continued. "At least I've been adopted
by a new sort of Robin Hood who's
travelling round robbing the rich to pay
the poor, and otherwise meddling in
people's affairs the old original Robin
Hood brought up to date. If it hadn't
been for him I might be cooling my heels
in jail right now. He's an expert on
jails been in nearly every calaboose in
America. He's tucked me under his
wing persuaded me to take the high-
way, and not care a hang for anything."
"How delightful!" she replied, but so
63
THE MADNESS OF MAY
slowly that he began to fear that his
confidences had alarmed her. 'That's
too good to be true; you're fooling,
aren't you really ? "
His eyes had grown accustomed to the
light, and her profile was now faintly
limned in the dusk. Hers was the
slender face of youth. The silhouette
revealed the straightest of noses and
the firmest of little chins. She was
young, so young that he felt himself
struggling in an immeasurable gulf of
years as he watched her. Apparently
such sophistication as she possessed was
in the things of the world of wonder, the
happy land of make-believe.
"Keats would have liked a night like
this," she said gently.
Deering was silent. Keats was a
person whom he knew only as the sub-
64
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ject of a tiresome lecture in his English
course at college.
"Bill Blake would have adored it,
but he would have had lambs in the
pasture," she added.
"Bill Blake?" he questioned. "Do
you mean Billy Blake who was half-
back on the Harvard eleven last year?"
She tossed her head and laughed
merrily.
"I love that!" she replied linger-
ingly, as though to prolong her joy in
his ignorance. "I was thinking of a
poet of that name who wrote a nice
verse something like this:
'I give you the end of a golden string;
Only wind it into a ball,
It will lead you in at Heaven's gate,
Built in Jerusalem's wall.' '
No girl had ever quoted poetry to
him before, and he was thinking more
65
THE MADNESS OF MAY
of her pretty way of repeating the
stanza keeping time with her hands
than of the verse itself.
"Well," he said, "what's the rest of
it?"
"Oh, there isn't any rest of it ! Don't
you see that there couldn't be anything
more that it's finished a perfect little
poem all by itself ! "
He played with a loosened bit of
stone, meekly conscious of his stupidity.
And he did not like to appear stupid
before a girl who danced alone in the
starlight and hung moons in trees.
"I'm afraid I don't get it. I'd a lot
rather stay by this wall talking to you
than go to Jerusalem."
'You'd be foolish to do that if you
really had the end of the golden string,
and could follow it to Paradise. I think
66
THE MADNESS OF MAY
it means any nice place just any place
where happiness is."
He was not getting on, and to gain
time he bade her repeat the stanza.
"I think I understand now; I've
never gone in much for poetry, you
know," he explained humbly.
"Burglars are natural poets, I sup-
pose," she continued. "A burglar just
has to have imagination or he can't
climb through the window of a house
he has never seen before. He must
imagine everything perfectly the silver
on the sideboard, the watch under the
pillow, and the butler stealing down the
back stairs with a large, shiny pistol in
his hand."
"Certainly," Deering agreed readily.
"And if he runs into a policeman on
the way out he's got to imagine that
67
THE MADNESS OF MAY
it's an old college friend and embrace
him."
"You mustn't spoil a pretty idea that
way!" she admonished in a tone that
greatly softened the rebuke. "Come
to think of it, you haven't told me your
name yet; of course, if you become a
burglar, you will have a great number
of names, but I'd like awfully to know
your true one."
"Why?" he demanded.
"Because you seem nice and well
brought up for a burglar, and I liked
your going up to the moon and poking
your finger into it. That makes me
feel that I'd like to know you."
"Well, the circumstances being as
they are, and being really a thief, you
mustn't ask me to tell my real name;
for all I know you may be a detective
in disguise."
68
THE MADNESS OF MAY
' T in not really," she said he found
her " really s" increasingly enchanting.
"You might call me Friar Tuck or
Little John. I'm travelling with Robin
Hood, you remember."
"Mr. Tuck that will be splendid!"
"And now that you know my name
it's only fair to tell me yours."
"Pierrette," she answered.
"Not really!"
His unconscious imitation of her
manner of uttering this phrase evoked
another merry laugh.
"Yes, really," she answered.
"And you live somewhere, of course
not in the tree up there with your moon,
but in the bungalow, I suppose."
"I live wherever I am; that's the
fun of playing all the time," she re-
plied evasively. "Poste restante, the
Little Dipper. How do you like that?"
69
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"But just now your true domicile is
the bungalow?" he persisted.
"Oh, I've been stopping there for a
few days, that's all. I haven't any
home not really," she added as though
she found her homelessness the happiest
of conditions. She snapped her fingers
and recited:
"Wherever stars shine brightest, there my home
shall be,
In the murmuring forest or by the sounding sea,
With overhead the green bough and underfoot
the grass,
Where only dreams and butterflies ever dare to
pass !"
"Is that Keats or Blake?" he ven-
tured timidly.
"It's me, you goose! But it's only
an imitation why, Stevenson, of course,
and pretty punk as you ought to know.
Gracious !"
70
THE MADNESS OF MAY
She jumped down from the wall, on
the side toward the bungalow, and
stared up at the tree she had embellished
with her moon.
"The moon's gone out, and I've got
to go in!"
"Please, before you go, when can I
see you again?"
"Who knows!" she exclaimed un-
sympathetically; but she waited as
though pondering the matter.
"But I must see you again!" he per-
sisted.
"Oh, I shouldn't say that it was
wholly essential to your happiness or
mine ! I can't meet burglars socially !"
"Burglars! But I'm not ' he cried
protestingly.
She bent toward him with one hand
extended pleadingly.
71
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Don't say it! Don't say it! If
you say you're not, you won't be any
fun any more !"
"Well, then we'll say I am a terrible
freebooter a bold, bad pirate," he
growled. "Now, may I come?"
She mused a moment, then struck
her hands together.
"Come to the bungalow breakfast;
that's a fine idea !"
"And may I bring Hood?" he asked,
leaning half-way across the wall in his
anxiety to conclude the matter before
she escaped. "He's my boss, you un-
derstand, and I'm afraid I can't shake
him."
"Certainly; bring Mr. Hood. Break-
fast at eight."
"And your home your address is
there in the bungalow?"
72
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"I've told you where my home is,
in a verse I made up specially; and my
address is care of the Little Dipper-
there it is, up there in the sky, all nice
and silvery."
His gaze followed the pointing of her
finger. The Little Dipper, as an ad-
dress for the use of mortals, struck him
as rather remote. To his surprise she
advanced to the wall, rested her hands
upon it, and peered into his face.
"Isn't this perfectly killing?" she
asked in a tone wholly different from
that in which she had carried on her
share of the colloquy.
He experienced an agreeable thrill as
it flashed upon him that this was no
child, but a young woman who, know-
ing the large world, had suddenly awak-
ened to a consciousness that encounters
73
THE MADNESS OF MAY
with strange young men by starlight
were not to be prolonged forever. In the
luminous dusk he noted anew the deli-
cate perfectness of her face, the fine
brow about which her hair had tumbled
from her late exertions. Her eyes
searched his face with honest curiosity
for an instant only.
Then she stepped back, as though to
mark a return to her original character,
and answered her own question with an
air of amused conviction:
"It is perfectly killing!"
His hand fumbled the cap in his
pocket.
"Here's something I found down
yonder your clown's cap."
She took it with a murmur of thanks,
and darted away toward the bungalow.
He heard her light step on the veranda
74
THE MADNESS OF MAY
and then a door closed with a sharp
bang.
Deering walked back to the inn with
his head high and elation throbbing in
his pulses. He observed groups of peo-
ple playing bridge in the inn parlor,
and he was filled with righteous con-
tempt for them. The May air had
changed his whole nature. He was not
the William B. Deering who had medi-
tated killing himself a few hours earlier.
A new joy had entered into him; he was
only afraid now that he might not live
forever !
Hood slept tranquilly, his bed lit-
tered with the afternoon's New York
papers which evidently he had been
scissoring when he fell asleep. Deer-
ing's attitude toward the strange va-
grant had changed since his meeting
75
THE MADNESS OF MAY
with Pierrette. Hood might be as mad
as the traditional hatter, and yet there
was something indubitably something
about the man that set him apart from
the common run of mortals.
Deering lay awake a long time re-
joicing in his new life, and when he
dreamed it was of balloon-like moons
cruising lazily over woods and fields,
pursued by innumerable Pierrettes in
spotted trousers and pointed caps.
76
T TE awoke at seven, and looked in
-*- * upon Hood, who lay sprawled
upon his bed reading one of the battered
volumes of Borrow he carried in his bag.
"Get your tub, son; I've had mine
and came back to bed to let you have
your sleep out. Marvellous man Bor-
row. Spring's the time to read him.
We'll have some breakfast and go out
and see what the merry old world has
to offer."
With nice calculation he tossed the
book into the open bag on the further
side of the room, rose, and stretched
himself. Deering stifled an impulse to
scoff at his silk pajamas as hardly an ap-
propriate sleeping garb for one who pro-
77
THE MADNESS OF MAY
fessed to have taken vows of poverty.
Hood noted his glance.
"Found these in some nabob's house
at Bar Harbor last fall. Went up in
November, after all the folks had gone,
to have a look at the steely blue ocean;
camped in a big cottage for a few days.
Found a drawer full of these things and
took the pink ones. Wrote my thanks
on the villa's stationery and pinned 'em
to the fireplace. I hate to admit it,
son, but I verily believe I could stand
a little breakfast."
"We're going out for breakfast,"
Deering remarked with affected care-
lessness. "I accepted an invitation for
you last night. A girl up there at the
bungalow asked me; I told her about
you, and she seemed willing to stand
for it."
78
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"The thought pleases me! You are
certainly doing well, my boy ! " Hood
replied, dancing about on one foot as
he drew a sock on the other.
He explained that a man should never
sit down while dressing; that the exer-
cise he got in balancing himself was of
the greatest value as a stimulus to the
circulation.
"She's a very nice girl, I think,"
Deering continued, showing his lathered
face at the bathroom door.
He hadn't expected Hood to betray
surprise, and he was not disappointed
in the matter-of-course fashion in which
his companion received the invitation.
"Breakfast is the one important meal
of the day," Hood averred as he exe-
cuted a series of hops in his efforts to
land inside his trousers. "All great ad-
79
*-* jb* "tJucA-tA Oit
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ventures should be planned across break-
fast tables; centrepiece of cool fruits;
coffee of teasing fragrance, the toast
crisp; an egg perhaps, if the morning
labors are to be severe. I know a chap
in Boston who cuts out breakfast alto-
gether. Most melancholy person I ever
knew; peevish till one o'clock, then
throws in a heavy lunch that ruins him
for the rest of the day. What did you
say the adorable's name was?"
"Pierrette," Deering spluttered from
the tub.
"Delightful!" cried Hood, flourishing
his hair-brushes. "Then you met the
dancing-girl ! I must say "
"She had hung a moon in a tree! I
followed the moon and found the girl!"
"Always the way; it never fails,"
Hood commented, as though the find-
80
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ing of the girl had fully justified his
philosophy of life. "But we can't fool
away much time at the bungalow; we've
got a lot to do to-day."
"Time!" cried Deering, "I'm going
to stay forever ! You can't expect me
to find a girl whose post-office address
is the Little Dipper, and then go coolly
off and forget about her !"
"That's the right spirit, son," Hood
remarked cautiously; "but we'll see.
I'll have a look at her and decide what's
best for you. My business right now is
to keep you out of trouble. You can't
tell about these moon girls; she may
have a wart on her nose when you see
her in daylight."
Deering hooted.
"And she probably has parents who
may not relish the idea of having two
81
THE MADNESS OF MAY
strange men prowling about the premises
looking for breakfast. There are still a
few of those old-fashioned people left
in the world. It may be only a back-
door hand-out for us, but I've sawed
wood for breakfast before now. I'll
wait for you below; I want to see how
old Cassowary's standing the racket.
The boy seemed a little cheerfuller last
night."
They walked to the bungalow which,
to Deering's relief, was still perched on
the ridge as he had left it. He was
beset with misgivings as they entered
the gate and followed a hedge-lined
path that rose gradually to the house;
it might be a joke after all; but Hood's
manner was reassuring. He swung his
stick and praised the landscape, and
when they reached the veranda banged
82
THE MADNESS OF MAY
the knocker noisily. A capped and
aproned maid opened the door imme-
diately.
Deering, struck with cowardice, found
his legs quaking and stepped back to
allow Hood to declare their purpose.
"We have come for breakfast, lass,"
Hood announced, "and have brought
our appetites with us if that fact in-
terests you."
:< You are expected," said the maid;
"breakfast will be served immediately."
She led the way across a long living-
room to the dining-room beyond, where
a table was set for three. The tangible
presence of the third plate caused Deer-
ing's heart to thump.
"The host or hostess ?" Hood in-
quired as the girl waited for them to
be seated.
83
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"The lady of the house wished me to
say that she would be here in spirit !
Pressing duties called her elsewhere."
Deering's spirits sank. Pierrette,
then, was only a dream of the night,
and had never had the slightest inten-
tion of meeting him at breakfast ! The
maid curtsied and vanished through a
swing door.
Hood, accepting the situation as he
found it, expressed his satisfaction as
a bowl of strawberries was placed on the
table, and as the door ceased swinging
behind the maid, laid his hand on Deer-
ing's arm. "Don't worry; mere shy-
ness has driven our divinity away: you
can see for yourself that even a girl who
hangs moons in trees might shrink from
the shock of a daylight meeting with a
gentleman she had found amusing by
84
THE MADNESS OF MAY
starlight. Let it suffice that she provided
the breakfast according to schedule
that's highly encouraging. With straw-
berries at present prices she has been
generous. This little disappointment
merely adds zest to the adventure."
The hand of the maid as she changed
his plate at once interested Deering.
It was a slender, supple, well-kept hand,
browned by the sun. Her maid's dress
was becoming; her cap merely served
to invite attention to her golden-brown
hair. Her coloring left nothing for the
heart to desire, and her brown eyes
called immediately for a second glance.
She was deft and quick; her graceful
walk in itself compelled admiration. As
the door closed upon her, Hood bent a
look of inquiry upon his brooding com-
panion.
85
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Perhaps she's the adorable the true,
authentic Pierrette," he suggested.
Deering shook his head.
"No; the other girl was not so tall
and her voice was different; it was won-
derfully sweet and full of laughter. I
couldn't be fooled about it."
"There's mystery here & game of
some kind. Mark the swish of silken
skirts; unless my eyes fail me, I caught
a glimpse of silken hose as she flitted
into the pantry."
When an omelet had been served and
the coffee poured (she poured coffee
charmingly !) Hood called her back as
she was about to leave them.
: 'Two men should never be allowed to
eat alone. If your mistress is not re-
turning at once, will you not do us the
honor to sit down with us?"
86
"Thank you, sir," she said, biting her
lip to conceal a smile.
Deering was on his feet at once and
drew out the third chair, which she ac-
cepted without debate. She composedly
folded her arms on the edge of the table
as though she were in nowise violating
the rules set down for the guidance of
waitresses. Hood, finding the situation
to his taste, blithely assumed the lead
in the conversation.
"It is perfectly proper for you to join
us at table," he remarked, "but formal
introductions would not be in keeping.
Still, your employer doubtless has some
familiar name for you, and you might
with propriety tell us what it is, so we
won't need to attract your attention by
employing the vulgar 'Say' or 'Listen' !"
"My mistress calls me Babette," she
87
THE MADNESS OF MAY
answered, her lashes drooping becom-
ingly.
"Perfect!" cried Hood ecstatically.
"And we are two outlaws whose names
it is more discreet for us to withhold,
even if it were proper to exchange names
with a mere housemaid."
Deering winced; it was indecent in
Hood to treat her as though she were a
housemaid when so obviously she was not.
"My friend doesn't mean to be rude,"
he explained; "the morning air always
makes him a little delirious."
"I hope I know my place," the girl
replied, "and I'm sure you gentlemen
mean to be kind."
'You needn't count the spoons after
we leave," said Hood; "I assure you we
have no professional designs on the
house."
88
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Thank you, sir. Of course, if you
stole anything, it would be taken out of
my wages."
Deering's interest in her increased.
She rested her chin on her hand just
as his sister often did when they lingered
together at table. He was a good brother
and Constance was his standard. He
was sure that Constance would like
Pierrette's maid. He resented Hood's
patronizing attitude toward the girl, but
Hood's spirits were soaring and there
was no checking him.
"Babette," he began, "I'm going to
trouble you with a question, not doubt-
ing you will understand that my motives
are those of a philosopher whose whole
life has been devoted to the study of
the human race. May I ask you to
state in all sincerity whether you con-
89
THE MADNESS OF MAY
sider apple sauce the essential accom-
paniment of roast duck ? "
"I do not; nor do I care for jelly with
venison," she answered readily.
"Admirable! You are clearly no
child of convention but an independent
thinker ! May I smoke ? Thanks ! "
He drew out his pipe and turned
beaming to the glowering Deering.
"There, my boy! Babette is one of
us one of the great company of the
stars! Wonderful, how you find them
at every turn ! Babette, my sister, I
salute you !"
She smiled and turned toward Deer-
ing.
"Are you, too, one of the Comrades
of Perpetual Youth?" she inquired
gravely.
"I am," Deering declared heartily,
90
THE MADNESS OF MAY
and they smiled at each other; "but
I'm only a novice a brother of the
second class."
She shook her head.
"There can be no question of classes
in the great comradeship either we are
or we are not."
"Well spoken!" Hood assented,
pushing back his chair and crossing his
legs comfortably.
"And you do you and Pierrette think
about things the same way?" Deering
asked.
"We do by not thinking," Babette
replied. "Thinking among the com-
rades is forbidden, is it not ? "
"Absolutely," Hood affirmed. "Our
young brother here is still a little weak in
the faith, but he's taking to it splen-
didly."
91
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"I'm new myself," Babette confessed.
"You're letter-perfect in the part,"
said Hood. "Perhaps you were driven
to it? Don't answer if you would be
embarrassed by a confession."
The girl pondered a moment; her
face grew grave, and she played ner-
vously with the sugar-tongs.
"A man loved me and I sent him
away, and was sorry!" The last words
fell from her lips falteringly.
"He will come back if he is worthy
of one of the comradeship," said Hood
consolingly. "Even now he may be
searching for you."
"I was unkind to him; I was very
hard on him ! And I've been afraid
sometimes that I should never see him
again."
Deering thought he saw a glint of
02
THE MADNESS OF MAY
tears in her eyes. She rose hastily and
asked with a wavering smile:
"If there's nothing further !
"Not food if you mean that," said
Hood.
"But about Pierrette!" Deering ex-
claimed despairingly. "If she's likely
to come, we must wait for her."
"I rather advise you against it," the
girl answered. "I have no idea when
she will come back."
They rose instinctively as she passed
out. The door fanned a moment and
was still.
"Well?" demanded Deering ironically.
"Please don't speak to me in that
tone," responded Hood. 'This was your
breakfast, not mine; you needn't scold
me if it didn't go to suit you ! Ah, what
have we here !"
93
THE MADNESS OF MAY
He had drawn back a curtain at one
end of the dining-room, disclosing a
studio beyond. It was evidently a prac-
tical workshop and bore traces of recent
use. Deering passed him and strode
toward an easel that supported a can-
vas on which the paint was still wet.
He cried out in astonishment:
"That's the moon girl that's the
girl I talked to last night clown clothes
and all ! She's sitting on the wall there
just as I found her."
"A sophisticated brush; no amateur's
job," Hood muttered, squinting at the
canvas. "Seems to me I've seen that
sort of thing somewhere lately Panta-
loon, Harlequin, Columbine, and Clown
latest fad in magazine covers. We're
in the studio of a popular illustrator
there's a bunch of proofs on the table,
and those things on the floor are from
94
THE MADNESS OF MAY
the same hand. Signature in the corner
a trifle obscure Mary B. Taylor."
"She may be Babette," Deering sug-
gested. "Suppose I call her and ask?"
Hood, having become absorbed in a
portfolio of pen-and-ink sketches of
clowns, harlequins, and columbines, sub-
jects in which the owner of the studio
apparently specialized, paid no heed to
the suggestion. When Deering returned
he was gazing critically at a sketch
showing a dozen clowns executing a
spirited dance on a garden-wall.
"She's skipped! There isn't a soul
on the place," Deering announced de-
jectedly.
"Not at all surprising; probably gone
to join her model, Pierrette. And we'd
better clear out before we learn too
much; life ceases to be interesting when
you begin to find the answers to riddles.
95
THE MADNESS OF MAY
Pierrette is probably a friend of the
artist, and plays model for the fun of
it. The same girl is repeated over and
over again in these drawings from
which I argue that Pierrette likes to pose
and Babette enjoys painting her. We
mustn't let this affect the general il-
lusion. The next turn of the road will
doubtless bring us to something that
can't be explained so easily."
"If it doesn't bring us to Pierrette "
began Deering.
"Tut! None of that! For all you
know it may bring us to something in-
finitely better. Remember that this is
mid-May, and anything may happen
before June kindles the crimson ram-
blers. Let us be off."
Half-way across the living-room Deer-
ing stopped suddenly.
06
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"My bag my suitcase!" he shouted.
A suitcase it was beyond question,
placed near the door as though to arrest
their attention. Deering pounced upon
it eagerly and flung it open.
"It's all right the stuff's here!" he
cried huskily.
He began throwing out the packets
that filled the case, glancing hurriedly
at the seals. Hood lounged near, watch-
ing him languidly.
"Most unfortunate," he remarked,
noting the growing satisfaction on Deer-
ing's face as he continued his examina-
tion. "Now that you've found that
rubbish, I suppose there'll be no holding
you; you'll go back to listen to the
ticker just when I had begun to have
some hope of you !"
"It was Pierrette that took it; it
97
THE MADNESS OF MAY
couldn't have been this artist girl,"
said Deering, excitedly whipping out
his penknife and slitting one of the
packages. A sheaf of blank wrapping-
paper fluttered to the floor. His face
whitened and he gave a cry of dismay.
"Robbed! Tricked!" he groaned, star-
ing at Hood.
Hood picked up the paper and scru-
tinized the seal.
"S. J. Deering, personal," he read in
the wax. 'You don't suppose that
girl has taken the trouble to forge your
father's private seal, do you?"
Deering feverishly tore open the other
packages.
"All alike; the stuff's gone!"
Perspiration beaded his forehead. He
stared stupidly at the worthless paper.
"You ought to be grateful, son," said
98
THE MADNESS OF MAY
Hood; "yesterday you thought your-
self a thief now that load's off your
mind, and you know yourself for an
honest man. General rejoicing seems to
be in order. Looks as though your
parent had robbed himself rather a
piquant situation, I must say."
He carried the wrappers to the win-
dow-seat and examined them more
closely.
"Seals were all intact. 'The Tyring-
ham estate,' " he read musingly. "What
do you make of that?" he asked Deer-
ing, who remained crumpled on the floor
beside the suitcase.
"That's an estate father was exec-
utor of it's a long story. Old man
Tyringham had been a customer of his,
and left a will that made it impossible
to close the estate till his son had reached
THE MADNESS OF MAY
a certain age. The final settlement was
to be made this summer. But my God,
Hood, do you suppose father my father
could be-
"A defaulter?" Hood supplied
blandly.
"It's impossible!" roared Deering.
"Father's the very soul of honor."
"I dare say he is," remarked Hood
carelessly. "So were you till greed led
you to pilfer your governor's strong
box. Let us be tolerant and withhold
judgment. It's enough that your own
skirts are clear. Put that stuff out of
sight; we must flit."
Hood set off for the Barton Arms at a
brisk pace, talking incessantly.
"This whole business is bully beyond
my highest expectations. By George,
it's almost too good to be true ! Critics
100
THE MADNESS OF MAY
of the drama complain that the aver-
age amateur's play ends with every act;
but so far in our adventures every in-
cident leads on to something else. Per-
fectly immense that somebody had
beaten you to the bonds !"
Deering's emotions were beyond ut-
terance. It was a warm morning, and
he did not relish carrying the suitcase,
whose recovery had plunged him into
a despair darker than that caused by
its loss.
At a turn in the road Hood paused,
struck his stick heavily upon the ground,
and drew out the slipper. He whirled
it in the air three times and twice it
pointed east. He thrust it back into
his pocket with a sigh of satisfaction
and brushed the dust from his hands.
"Once more we shall follow the point-
101
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ing slipper. Yesterday it led us to the
moon girl, the bungalow, and the suit-
case; now it points toward the mys-
terious east, and no telling what new
delights!"
102
VI
T TOOD and Deering found Casso-
-* * wary sitting in the machine in
the inn yard reading a newspaper; this
Hood promptly seized and scanned with
his trained eye.
"Are the bags aboard? Ah, I see
you have been forehanded, Cassowary!"
Deering went to the inn office and
came out with a number of telegrams
which he read as he slowly crossed the
yard.
"What do you think of this?" he
asked weakly. The yellow sheets shook
in his hand and his face was white. "I
wired to a bank and a club in San Fran-
cisco last night, and they've answered
that father isn't in San Francisco and
103
THE MADNESS OF MAY
hasn't been there ! And I wired the
people Constance was to visit at Pasa-
dena, and they don't know anything
about her. Just look at these things!"
"Sounds like straight information, but
why worry?" remarked Hood, scanning
the telegrams.
"But why should father lie to me?
Why should Constance say she was
going to California if she wasn't?"
"My dear boy, don't ask me such
questions!" Hood remarked with an
injured air. : 'You are guilty of the
gravest error in sending telegrams with-
out consulting me! How can we trust
ourselves to Providence if you persist
in sending telegrams ! If you do this
again, I shall be seriously displeased,
and you mustn't displease Hood. Hood
is very ugly in his wrath."
104
THE MADNESS OF MAY
Deering was at the point of tears.
Hood was a fool, and he wished to tell
him so, but the words stuck in his
throat.
"We move eastward toward the Con-
necticut border, Cassowary," Hood or-
dered and pushed Deering into the ma-
chine.
Hood was as merry as the morning
itself, and talked ceaselessly as they
rolled through the country, occasionally
bidding Cassowary slow down and give
heed to his discourse. The chauffeur
listened with a grin, glancing guardedly
at Deering, who stared grimly ahead
with an unlighted cigar in his mouth.
He was not to be disturbed in his
meditations upon the blackness of the
world by the idiotic prattle of a mad-
man. For half an hour Hood had
105
THE MADNESS OF MAY
been describing his adventures with a
Dublin University man, whose humor
he pronounced the keenest and most
satisfying he had ever known. He had
gathered from this person an immense
fund of lore relating to Irish supersti-
tions.
"He left me just when I had learned
to love him," Hood concluded mourn-
fully. "Became fascinated with a
patent-medicine faker we struck at a
county fair in Indiana. He was so
tickled over the way the long-haired
doctor played the banjo and jollied the
crowd that he attached himself to his
caravan. That Irishman was one of
the most agreeable men to be in jail
with that I ever knew; even hardened
murderers would cotton to him. That
spire over there must be Addington.
106
THE MADNESS OF MAY
The inn is nothing to boast of, but we'd
better tackle it."
His gayety at luncheon once more
won Deering to a cheerier view of his
destiny. Hood called for the proprietor
and lectured him roundly for offer-
ing canned-blueberry pie. The fact that
blueberries were out of season made no
difference to the outraged Hood; pie
produced from a can was a gross impo-
sition. He cited legal decisions covering
such cases and intimated that he might
bring proceedings. As the innkeeper
strode angrily away an elderly woman
at a neighboring table addressed the
dining-room on the miserable incompe-
tence of the pastry-cooks of these later
times, winding up by thanking Hood
heartily for his protest. She was from
Boston, she announced, and the declin-
107
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ing intellectual life of that city she at-
tributed to the deterioration of its pie.
Hood rose and gravely replied in a
speech of five minutes, much to the de-
light of two girls at the old lady's table.
Hood wrote his name on the menu card,
and bade the giggling waitress hand it
to the lady from Boston. Her young
companions conferred for a moment,
and then sent back a card on which
appeared these names neatly pencilled:
MAID MARIAN
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA
THE DUCHESS OF SUFFOLK (MASS.)
"My dear boy," Hood remarked to
Deering after he had bowed elaborately
to the trio, "I tell you the whole world's
caught step with us ! That lady and her
two nieces, or granddaughters as the
case may be, are under the spell, just
108
THE MADNESS OF MAY
as you and I are and Cassowary and
your Pierrette and Babette of the
bungalow. If only you could yield
yourself to the May spirit, how happy
we might be! Just think of Cassowary;
worth a million dollars and eating his
lunch with the chauffeurs somewhere
below stairs and picking up much in-
formation that he will impart to me
later! What a bully world this would
be if all mankind followed my system:
stupid conventions all broken-down; the
god of mirth holding his sides as he
contemplates the world at play ! You
may be sure that old lady is a stickler
for the proprieties when she's at home;
widow of a bishop most likely. Those
girls have been carefully reared, you
can see that, but full of the spirit of
mischief. The moment I tackled that
109
THE MADNESS OF MAY
stupid innkeeper about his monstrous
pie they felt the drawing of the mystic
tie that binds us together with silken
cords. Very likely they, like us, are
in search of adventure, and if our own
affairs were less urgent I should cer-
tainly cultivate their further acquain-
tance."
The lady who called herself the Duch-
ess of Suffolk (Mass.) was undoubtedly
a person of consequence and the pos-
sessor of a delightful humor. Deering
assumed that she and her companions
were abroad upon a lark of some kind
and were enjoying themselves tremen-
dously. Hood's spell renewed its grip
upon him. It occurred to him that the
whole world might have been touched
with the May madness, and that the
old order of things had passed forever.
110
THE MADNESS OF MAY
It seemed ages since he had watched
the ticker in his father's office. As they
sat smoking on the veranda the Duchess
of Suffolk, the Queen of Sheba, and
Maid Marian came out and entered a
big car. The old lady bowed with dig-
nity as the car moved off; the girls
waved their hands.
"Perfect!" Hood muttered as he re-
turned their salutations. "We may
never meet again in this world, but
the memory of this encounter will abide
with me forever."
"I don't want to appear fussy,
Hood," Deering began good-naturedly,
"but would you mind telling me what's
next on your programme?"
"Not in the slightest. It's just oc-
curred to me that it would be well to
dine to-night in one of the handsome
ill
THE MADNESS OF MAY
villas scattered through these hills. Still
following the slipper, we shall choose
one somewhere east of the inn and pre-
sent ourselves confidently at the front
door. Failing there, we shall assault the
postern and, perhaps, enrich our knowl-
edge of life with the servants' gossip."
"There are some famous kennels in
this neighborhood, and I'd hate awfully
to have an Airedale bite a hole in my
leg," Deering suggested.
"My dear boy, that's the tamest
thing that could happen to us ! My
calves are covered with scars from dogs'
teeth; you soon get hardened to canine
ferocity. We'll take a tramp for an
hour to work the fuzz off our gray
matter, and then a nap to freshen us
up for the evening. We shall learn
much to-night; I'm confident of that."
THE MADNESS OF MAY
There seemed to be no way of escap-
ing Hood or changing his mind once he
announced a decision. The programme
was put through exactly as he had in-
dicated. The important thing about
the tramp was that Cassowary accom-
panied them on the walk, and Deering
found him both agreeable and interest-
ing. He discoursed of polo, last year's
Harvard- Yale football game, and ice-
boating, in which he seemed deeply ex-
perienced.
Hood left them to look for hiero-
glyphics on a barn which he said was
a veritable palimpsest of cryptic nota-
tions of roving thieves.
Cassowary's manner underwent a
marked change when he and Deering
were alone.
"If you're going to give the old boy
113
THE MADNESS OF MAY
the slip," he said earnestly, "I want
you to give me notice. I'm not going
to be left alone with him."
Their eyes met in a long scrutiny;
then Deering laughed.
"I don't know how you feel about it,
but, by George, I'm afraid to shake him !"
"That's exactly my fix," Cassowary
answered. "I was in a bad way when
he picked me up: just about ready to
jump off a high building and let it go
at that. And I must say he does make
things seem brighter. He mustn't see
us talking off key, as he'd say, but I'd
like to ask you this: what's he running
away from? That's what worries me.
What's he grabbing newspapers for all
the time and slashing out ads and other
queer stuff?"
'You've got me there," Deering re-
114
THE MADNESS OF MAY
plied soberly. "We ran into some men
the other night who he said were detec-
tives looking for him, but it didn't
seem to worry him any."
"There's nothing new in that. We've
struck a number of men who apparently
were looking for somebody, and he
greatly enjoys chaffing them. If he's
really a crook, he wouldn't be exposing
himself to arrest as he does."
Hood was now returning from his
investigations of the barn, and as he
crossed the pasture was examining a
bunch of the newspaper clippings with
which his pockets were stuffed.
:< You needn't be afraid of getting
into trouble with him," Cassowary re-
marked admiringly. "He pulls off
things you wouldn't think could be
done. He's a marvel, that man !"
115
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Old Bill Fogarty's been ripping into
the country stores in these parts," be-
gan Hood volubly; "found his mark
on the barn, all right. Amusing cuss,
Fogarty. Sawed himself out of most
of the jails between here and Bangor.
We'll probably meet up with him some-
where. It's about time to go back for
that snooze, boys. To the road again !"
He strode off singing, in a very good
tenor voice, snatches from Italian operas,
and his pace was so rapid that his com-
panions were hard pressed to keep up
with him.
116
VII
T71VENING dress was becoming to
^-* Hood, enhancing the distinction
which his rough corduroys never wholly
obscured. He surveyed Deering crit-
ically, gave a twist to his tie, and said
it was time to be off. As they drove
slowly through the country he discussed
the various houses they passed, spec-
ulating as to the entertainment they
offered. He finally ordered Cassowary
to stop at the entrance to an imposing
estate, where a large colonial mansion
stood some distance from the highway.
"This strikes me as promising," he
remarked, rising in the car and craning
his neck to gain a view of the house
through the shrubbery. "Drive in, Cas-
117
THE MADNESS OF MAY
sowary, and stand by with the car till
you see whether we have to run for it."
He gave the electric annunciator a
prolonged push, and as a butler opened
the door advanced into the hall with
his most authoritative air.
"Mr. Hood and Mr. Tuck. I trust I
correctly understood that we dine at
seven." The man eyed them with sur-
prise but took their coats and hats.
"We are expected. Please announce
us immediately."
Deering followed him bewilderedly
into the drawing-room and planted him-
self close to the door.
"Assurance, my dear boy, conquers
all things," Hood declaimed. ' This
stuff looks like real Chippendale, and
the rugs seem to be genuine." He
sniffed contemptuously as he posed be-
118
THE MADNESS OF MAY
fore a long mirror for a final inspection
of his raiment. "It always pains me
to detect the odor of boiled vegetables
when I enter a strange house. Arch-
itects tell me that it is almost impossible
to prevent
A woman's figure flashed in the mirror
beside him, and he whirled round and
bowed from the hips.
"I trust you are not so lacking in the
sense of hospitality that you find your-
self considering means of ejecting us.
My comrade and I are weary from a
long journey."
Turning quickly, her gaze fell upon
Deering, who was stealing on tiptoe
toward the door.
"Halt!" commanded Hood.
Deering paused and sheepishly faced
his hostess.
119
THE MADNESS OF MAY
She was a small, trim, graceful woman,
of the type that greets middle life smil-
ingly and with no fear of what may lie
beyond. Her dark hair had whitened,
but her rosy cheeks belied its insinua-
tions. She viewed Deering with frank
curiosity, but with no indication of alarm.
She was not a woman one would con-
sciously annoy, and Deering's face burned
as he felt her eyes inspecting him from
head to foot. He had never before
been so heartily ashamed of himself;
once out of this scrape, he meant to
escape from Hood and lead a circum-
spect, orderly life.
"Which is Hood and which is Tuck?"
the woman asked with a faint smile.
"The friar is the gentleman standing
on one foot at your right," Hood an-
swered. "Conscious of my unworthi-
120
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ness, I plead guilty to being Hood-
Hood the hobo delectable, the tramp in-
comprehensible !"
"Incomprehensible," she repeated;
"you strike me as altogether obvious."
: 'You never made a greater mistake,"
Hood returned with asperity. "But the
question that now agitates us is simply
this: do we eat or do we not?"
Deering looked longingly at a chair
with which he felt strongly impelled to
brain his suave, unruffled companion.
Hood apparently was hardened to such
encounters, and stood his ground un-
flinchingly. All Deering's instincts of
chivalry were roused by the little
woman, who had every reason for turn-
ing them out of doors. He resolved to
make it easy for her to do so.
"I beg your pardon " he faltered.
121
THE MADNESS OF MAY
Hood signalled to him furiously be-
hind her back to maintain silence.
"No apology would be adequate," she
remarked with dignity. "We'd better
drop that and consider your errand on
its strict merits."
"Admirably said, madam," Hood re-
joined readily. "We ask nothing of you
but seats at your table and the favor of
a little wholesome and stimulating con-
versation, which I refuse to believe you
capable of denying us."
A clock somewhere began to boom
seven. She waited for the last stroke
to die away.
"I make it a rule never to deny food
to any applicant, no matter how un-
worthy. You may remain."
Deering had hardly adjusted himself
to this when an old gentleman entered
122
O 3
THE MADNESS OF MAY
the room, and with only the most casual
glance at the two pilgrims walked to
the grand piano, shook back his cuffs,
and began playing Mendelssohn's
"Spring Song," as though that partic-
ular melody were the one great passion
of his life. When he had concluded he
rose and shook down his cuffs.
"If that isn't music," he demanded,
walking up to the amazed Deering, who
still clung to his post by the door, "what
is it? Answer me that !"
: 'You played it perfectly," Deering
stammered.
"And you," he demanded, whirling
upon Hood, "what have you to say,
sir?"
"The great master himself would have
envied your touch," Hood replied.
The old gentleman glared. "Rot!"
123
THE MADNESS OF MAY
he ejaculated; and then, turning to the
mistress of the house, he asked: "Do
these ruffians dine with us?"
"They seem about to do us that
honor. My father, Mr. Hood, and
Mr. Tuck. Shall we go out to dinner?"
The gentleman she had introduced as
her father glared again a separate glare
for each and, advancing with a ridic-
ulous strut, gave the lady his arm.
In the hall Hood intercepted Deering
in the act of effecting egress by way of
the front door. His fingers dug deeply
into his nervous companion's arm as
he dragged him along, talking in his
characteristic vein:
"My dear Tuck, it's a pleasure to
find ourselves at last in a home whose
appointments speak for breeding and
taste. The portrait on our right bears
124
THE MADNESS OF MAY
all the marks of a genuine Copley.
Madam, may I inquire whether I cor-
rectly attribute that portrait to our
great American master?"
'You are quite right," she answered
over her shoulder. "The subject of
the portrait is my great-great-grand-
father."
"My dear Tuck!" cried Hood jubi-
lantly, still clutching Deering's arm,
"fate has again been kind to us; we
are among folk of quality, as I had
already guessed."
The dining-room was in dark oak;
the glow from concealed burners shed
a soft light upon a round table.
"You will sit at my right, Mr. Hood,
and Mr. Tuck by my father on the
other side."
Deering pinched himself to make sure
125
THE MADNESS OF MAY
he was awake. The next instant the
room whirled, and he clutched the back
of his chair for support. A girl came
into the room and walked quickly to
the seat beside him.
"Mr Hood and Mr. Tuck, my
daughter '
She hesitated, and the girl laughingly
ejaculated : " Pierrette ! "
"Sit down, won't you, please," said
the little lady; but Deering stood star-
ing open-mouthed at the girl.
Beyond question, she was the girl of
the Little Dipper; there was no mis-
taking her. At this point the old gen-
tleman afforded diversion by rising and
bowing first to Hood and then to Deer-
ing.
"I am Pantaloon," he said. "My
daughter is Columbine, as you may have
guessed."
126
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"It's very nice to see you again,"
Pierrette remarked to Deering; "but,
of course, I didn't know you would be
here. How goes the burgling?"
"I er haven't got started yet. I
find it a little difficult
"I'm afraid you're not getting much
fun out of the adventurous life," she
suggested, noting the wild look in his
eyes.
"I don't understand things, that's
all," he confessed, "but I think I'm
going to like it."
"You find it a little too full of sur-
prises? Oh, we all do at first! You
see grandfather is seventy, and he never
grew up, and mamma is just like him.
And I She shrugged her shoulders
and flashed a smile at her grandparent.
"You are wonderful bewildering,"
Deering stammered.
127
THE MADNESS OF MAY
The old gentleman was inveighing at
Hood upon America's lack of mirth;
the American people had utterly lost
their capacity for laughter, the old man
averred. Deering's fork beat a lively
tattoo on his plate as he attacked his
caviar.
And then another girl entered and
walked to the remaining vacant place
opposite him.
"Smeraldina," murmured the mistress
of the house, glancing round the table,
and calmly finishing a remark the girl's
entrance had interrupted.
Deering's last hold upon sanity slowly
relaxed. Unless his wits were entirely
gone, he was facing his sister Constance.
She wore a dark gown, with white collar
and cuffs, and her manner was marked
by the restraint of an upper servant of
1*8
THE MADNESS OF MAY
some sort who sits at the family table
by sufferance. He was about to gasp
out her name when she met his eyes
with a glinty stare and a quick shake
of the head. Then Pierrette addressed
a remark to her kindly meant to re-
lieve her embarrassment referring to
a walk over the hills they had taken to-
gether that afternoon.
"Ah, Smeraldina!" cried Pantaloon,
"how is that last chapter? Columbine
refuses to show me any more of the book
until it is finished. I look to you to make
a duplicate for my private perusal."
Here was light of a sort upon the
strange household; its mistress was a
writer of books; Constance was her
secretary; but the effort to explain
how his sister came to be masquerading
in such a role left him doddering, and
129
THE MADNESS OF MAY
that she should refuse to recognize him
her own brother !
"If that new book is hah* as good as
'The Madness of May/ " Pantaloon was
saying, "I shall not be disappointed."
"Oh, it's much better; infinitely
better!" Constance declared warmly.
''Tuck, do you realize we are in the
presence of greatness?" cried Hood.
Then, turning to Columbine: 'The
author will please accept my heartiest
congratulations !"
"Thank you kindly," replied the
hostess. "I'm fortunate in my secre-
tary. Smeraldina is my fifth, and the
first who ever made a suggestion that
was of the slightest use. The others
had no imagination; they all objected
to being called Smeraldina, and one of
them was named Smith ! "
"I'm afraid I'm the first who ever
130
THE MADNESS OF MAY
had the impertinence to suggest any-
thing," Constance answered humbly.
This was not the sister Deering had
known in his old life before he fell vic-
tim to the prevailing May madness.
She was in servitude and evidently try-
ing to make the best of it. She had been
the jolliest, the most high-spirited of
girls, and to find her now meekly act-
ing as amanuensis to a lady whose very
name he didn't know sent his imagina-
tion stumbling through the blindest of
dark alleys.
Only the near presence of Pierrette
and her perfect composure and good-
nature checked his inclination to stand
up and shout to relieve his feelings.
"I hope you don't mind my not turn-
ing up for breakfast," she remarked in
her low, bell-like tones.
Deering's hopes rose. That break-
131
THE MADNESS OF MAY
fast at the bungalow seemed the one
tangible incident of his twenty-four
hours in Hood's company and, perhaps,
if he let her take the lead, he might
find himself on solid earth again.
"I'd been week-ending with Babette;
she's an artist, you know, and I'm
posing for another of mamma's heroines.
Babette got me up at daylight to pose
for the last picture and then I skipped
and left her to manage the breakfast."
Her laugh as she said this established
her identity beyond question. For a
moment the thought of the packages of
worthless wrapping-paper he had found
in his suitcase chilled his happiness in
finding her again; but it had not been
her fault; the unbroken seals fully es-
tablished her innocence.
'You understand, of course, that it's
132
THE MADNESS OF MAY
a dark secret that mother writes. She
had scribbled for her own amusement
all her life, and published 'The Madness
of May' just to see what the public
would do to it."
"I understand that it's immensely
amusing," remarked Deering, thrilling
as she turned toward him.
"Oh, you haven't read it!" she cried.
"Mamma, Mr. Tuck hasn't read your
book."
"My young friend is just beginning
his education," interposed Hood. "I
unhesitatingly pronounce 'The Madness
of May' a classic something the tired
world has been awaiting for years!"
"Right!" cried Pantaloon. "You are
quite right, sir. 'The Madness of May'
isn't a novel, it's a text-book on happi-
ness !"
133
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Truer words were never spoken!"
exclaimed Hood with enthusiasm.
"Do you know," began Deering, when
it was possible to address Pierrette di-
rectly again, "I don't believe I was
built for this life. I find myself check-
ing off the alphabet on my fingers every
few minutes to see if I have gone plumb
mad!"
She bent toward him with entreaty
in her eyes. He observed that they
were brown eyes ! In the starlight he
had been unable to judge of their color,
and he was chagrined that he hadn't
guessed at that first interview that she
was a brown-eyed girl. Only a brown-
eyed girl would have hung a moon in a
tree ! Brown eyes are immensely elo-
quent of all manner of pleasant things-
such as mischief, mirth, and dreams.
134
THE MADNESS OF MAY
Moreover, brown eyes are so highly
sensitized that they receive and trans-
mit messages in the most secret of
ciphers, and yet always with circumspec-
tion. He was perfectly satisfied with
Pierrette's eyes and relieved that they
were not blue, for blue eyes may be cold,
and the finest of black eyes are some-
times dull. Gray eyes alone misty,
fathomless gray eyes share imagination
with brown ones. But neither a blue-
eyed nor a black-eyed nor a gray-eyed
Pierrette was to be thought of. Pier-
rette's eyes were brown, as he should
have known, and what she was saying
to him was just what he should have
expected once the color of her eyes had
been determined.
"Please don't! You must never try
to understand things like this ! You
135
THE MADNESS OF MAY
see grandpa and mamma love larking,
and this is a lark. We're always lark-
ing, you know."
Hood's voice rose commandingly :
"Once when I was in jail in Utica '
Deering regretted his shortness of leg
that made it impossible to kick his er-
ratic companion under the table. But
a chorus of approval greeted this prom-
ising opening, and Hood continued re-
lating with much detail the manner in
which he had once been incarcerated
in company with a pickpocket whose
accomplishments and engaging person-
ality he described with gusto. There
was no denying that Hood talked well,
and the strict attention he was receiving
evoked his best efforts.
Deering, covertly glancing at his sister,
found that she too hung upon Hood's
199
THE MADNESS OF MAY
words. Her presence in the house still
presented an enigma with which his
imagination struggled futilely, but no
opportunity seemed likely to offer for an
exchange of confidences.
Constance was a thoroughbred and
played her part flawlessly. Her treat-
ment by her employer left nothing to
be desired; the amusing little grand-
father appealed to her now and then
with unmistakable liking, and the smiles
that passed between her and Pierrette
were evidence of the friendliest rela-
tionship.
The dinner was served in a leisurely
fashion that encouraged talk, and Deer-
ing availed himself of every chance for a
tete-a-tete with Pierrette. She graciously
came down out of the clouds and con-
versed of things that were within his
137
THE MADNESS OF MAY
comprehension of golf and polo for ex-
ample and then passed into the un-
known again. But in no way did she
so much as hint at her identity. When
she referred to her mother or grand-
father she employed the pseudonyms by
which he already knew them. While
they were on the subject of polo he
asked her if she had witnessed a certain
match.
"Oh, yes, I was there!" she replied.
"And, of course, I saw you; you were
the star performer. At tea afterward
I saw you again, surrounded by ad-
mirers." She laughed at his befuddle-
ment. "But it's against all the rules to
try to unmask me ! Of course, I know
you, but maybe you will never know
me!"
"I don't believe you are cruel enough
138
THE MADNESS OF MAY
to prolong my agony forever ! I can't
stand this much longer!"
"Perhaps some day," she answered
quietly and meeting his eager gaze
steadily, "we shall meet just as the
people of the world meet, and then
maybe you won't like me at all!"
"After this the world will never be
the same planet again. Hereafter my
business will be to follow you
She broke in laughingly, "even to
the Little Dipper?"
"Even to the farthest star!" he an-
swered.
After coffee had been served in the
drawing-room, Hood, again dominating
the company (much to Deering's dis-
gust), suggested music. Pierrette con-
tributed a flashing, golden Chopin waltz
and Pantaloon Schubert's "Serenade,"
139
THE MADNESS OF MAY
which he played atrociously, whereupon
Hood announced that he would sing a
Scotch ballad, which he proceeded to
do surprisingly well. The evening could
not last forever, and Deering chafed at
his inability to detach Pierrette from
the piano; but she was most provokingly
submissive to Hood's demand that the
music continue. Deering had protested
that he didn't sing; he hated himself
for not singing !
He fidgeted awhile; then, finding
the others fully preoccupied with their
musical experiments, quietly left the
drawing-room. It had occurred to him
that Constance, who had disappeared
when they left the table, might be seek-
ing a chance to speak to him and he
strolled through the library (a large
room with books crowding to the ceil-
140
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ing) to a glass door opening into a con-
servatory, which was dark save for the
light from the library. He was about
to turn away when an outer door opened
furtively and Cassowary stepped in from
the grounds. The chauffeur glanced
about nervously as though anxious to
avoid detection,
As Deering watched him a shadow
darted by, and his sister unmistakably
Constance in the dark gown with its
white collar and cuffs that she had worn
at dinner moved swiftly toward the
chauffeur. She gave him both hands;
he kissed her eagerly; then they began
talking earnestly. For several minutes
Deering heard the blurred murmur of
rapid question and reply; then, evi-
dently disturbed by an outburst of merri-
ment from the drawing-room, the two
141
THE MADNESS OF MAY
parted with another hand-clasp and kiss,
and Cassowary darted through the outer
door.
Constance waited a moment, as though
to compose herself, and then began re-
tracing her steps down the conservatory
aisle. As she passed his hiding-place
Deering stepped out and seized her
arm.
"So this is what's in the wind, is it?"
he demanded roughly. "I suppose you
don't know that that man's a bad lot,
a worthless fellow Hood picked up in
the hope of reforming him ! For all I
know he may be the chauffeur he pre-
tends to be!"
She freed herself and her eyes flashed
angrily.
14 You don't know what you're say-
ing ! That man is a gentleman, and if
142
THE MADNESS OF MAY
he went to pieces for a while it was my
fault. I met him at the Drakes' last
year when you were away hunting in
Canada. He came to our house after-
ward, but for some reason father took
one of his strong dislikes to him, and
forbade my seeing him again. I knew
he was with this man Hood, and when
I left the table awhile ago I met him
outside the servants' dining-room and
told him I would talk to him here."
"What does he call himself?" Deering
asked.
"Torrence is the name the Drakes
gave him," she answered with faint
irony. "He's a ranchman in Wyoming
and was in Bob Drake's class in college."
He knew perfectly well that the
Drakes were not people likely to coun-
tenance an impostor. His first instinct
143
THE MADNESS OF MAY
had been to protect his sister from an
unknown scamp, and he was sorry that
he had spoken to her so roughly. Her
distress and anxiety were apparent, and
he was filled with pity for her. Since
childhood they had been the best of
pals, and if she loved a man who was
worthy of her he would aid the affair
in every way possible. He was surprised
by the abruptness with which she stepped
close to him and laid her hand on his
arm.
"Billy, who is Hood?" she whispered.
"I don't know!" he ejaculated, and
then as she eyed him curiously he ex-
plained hurriedly: "I was in an awful
mess when he turned up, Connie. I'd
gone into a copper deal with Ned Rans-
comb and needed more money to help
him through with it. I put in all I
144
THE MADNESS OF MAY
had and touched one of father's boxes
at the bank for some more and lost it,
or didn't lose it; God knows what did
become of it ! It would take a week to
tell you the whole story. Ranscomb
disappeared, absolutely, and there I was !
I should have killed myself if that lunatic
Hood hadn't turned up and hypnotized
me. But what what (he fairly
choked with the question), "in heaven's
name are you doing here ? Why did you
cut out California? I tell you, Connie,
if I'm not crazy everybody else is ! I
nearly fainted when you came into the
dining-room."
Constance smiled at his despair, but
hurried on with explanations:
"We can't talk here, but I can clear
up a few things. Father read that
woman's book, and it went to his
145
THE MADNESS OF MAY
head. Yes," she added as Deering
groaned in his helplessness, "father's act-
ing a good deal like those people in the
drawing-room. He's got the May mad-
ness, and I'm afraid I've got a touch of
it myself! Father started off to have
adventures like the people in that book
and dragged me along to get my mind
off Tommy "
"Tommy?"
"Mr. Torrence!"
Billy swallowed this with a gulp.
"But, Billy," Constance continued
seriously, "there's really something on
father's mind; he thinks he's looking for
somebody, and I'm not sure whether he
is or not. That's how I come to be
here. He made me answer an advertise-
ment and take this position to spy on
these people."
146
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"My God!" Deering gasped, "gone
clean mad, the whole bunch of us. Who
the deuce are these lunatics anyhow?"
"I don't know, Billy; honestly I
don't ! You know nearly as much about
them as I do. Their mail goes to a
bank in town, and I met my employer
at a lawyer's office in Hartford. Father
suspects something and made me do
it, so I might watch them. The mother
and daughter have been abroad a great
deal, and just came home a month ago.
I never saw this man Hood until to-
night. The mother and daughter and
the old gentleman call each other by
the names you heard at the table, and
the books in the library are marked
with half a dozen names. Even the sil-
ver gives no clew. I've been here a
week and only one person has come to
147
THE MADNESS OF MAY
the house" (she lowered her voice to a
whisper), "and that was Ned Ranscomb !"
He clutched her hands, and the words
he tried to utter became a queer, in-
articulate gurgle in his throat.
"Ned came here to see a girl," she
went on: "an artist who made the pic-
tures for "The Madness of May.' He's
quite crazy about her. I did get that
much out of Pierrette. This artist's a
victim of the madness too, and seems
to be leading Ned a gay dance!"
"Took my two hundred thousand and
got me to steal two more," he groaned,
"and then went chasing a girl all over
creation ! And the fool always bragged
that he was immune; that no girl
"Another victim of the same disease,
that's all," answered Constance with a
wry smile.
148
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Not Ned; not Ranscomb ! That
settles it ! We've all gone loony !"
"Well, even so, we mustn't be caught
here," said Constance with decision as
the music ceased.
"Tell me, quick, where can I find the
governor?" Deering demanded.
"If you must know, Billy," she re-
plied, her lips quivering with mirth,
"our dear parent is in jail in jail !
Tommy collected those glad tidings at
the garage."
Having launched this at her astounded
brother, she pushed him from her and
ran away through the conservatory.
149
VIII
'TT1UCK, my boy, you should culti-
* vate the art of music ! " cried
Hood as Deering reappeared, somewhat
pale but resigned to an unknown fate,
in the drawing-room. "And now that
ten has struck we must be on our way.
Madam, will yen ring for Cassowary,
the prince of chauffeurs, as we must
leave your hospitable home at once?"
He began making his adieus with the
greatest formality.
"Mr. Tuck," said the mistress of the
house as Deering gave her a limp hand,
"you have conferred the greatest honor
upon us. Please never pass our door
without stopping."
" To-morrow," he said, turning to
150
THE MADNESS OF MAY
Pierrette, "I shall find you to-morrow,
either here or in the Dipper ! "
"Before you see me or the Dipper
again, many things may happen!" she
laughed.
The trio the absurd little Pantaloon;
Columbine, laughing and gracious to
the last, and Pierrette, smiling, charm-
ing, adorable cheerily called good night
from the door as Cassowary sent the car
hurrying out of the grounds.
"Well, what do you think of the life
of freedom now?" demanded Hood as
the car reached the open road. "Begin
to have a little faith in me, eh?"
"Well, you seemed to put it over,"
Deering admitted grudgingly. "But I
can't go on this way, Hood; I really
can't stand it. I've got to quit right
now!"
151
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"My dear boy!" Hood protested.
"I've heard bad news about my
father; one of the er servants back
there told ine he was in jail!"
"Stop!" bawled Hood. "This is im-
portant if true! Cassowary, I've told
you time and again to bring me any
news you pick up in servants' halls.
What have you heard about the arrest
of a gentleman named Deering?"
"He's been pinched, all right," the
chauffeur answered as he stopped the
car and turned round. "The constables
over at West Dempster are trapping
joy-riders, and they nailed Mr. Deering
about sundown for speeding. I learned
that from the chauffeur at that house
where you dined."
Hood slapped his knee and chortled
with delight.
152
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"There's work ahead of us! But
probably he's bailed himself out by this
time."
"Not on your life!" Cassowary an-
swered, and Deering marked a note of
jubilation in his tone, as though the
thought of Mr. Deering's incarceration
gave him pleasure. : 'The magistrate's
away for the night, and there's nobody
there to fix bail. It's part of the treat-
ment in these parts to hold speed fiends
a night or two."
Again Hood's hand fell upon Deer-
ing's knee.
"A situation to delight the gods!"
he cried. "Cassowary, old man, at
the next crossroads turn to the right
and run in at the first gate. There's a
farmhouse in the midst of an orchard;
we'll stop there and change our clothes."
153
THE MADNESS OF MAY
As the car started Deering whirled
upon Hood and shook him violently by
the collar.
"I'm sick of all this rot! I can't
stand any more, I tell you. I'm going
to quit right here !"
Hood drew his arm round him affec-
tionately.
"My dear son, have I failed you at
any point? Have you ever in your life
had any adventures to compare with
those you've had with me? Stop whin-
ing and trust all to Hood !"
Deering sank back into his corner with
a growl of suppressed rage.
When they reached the farmhouse
Hood drew out a key and opened the
front door with a proprietorial air.
"Whose place is this? I want to
know what I'm getting in for," Deer-
ing demanded wrathfully.
154
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"Mine, dearest Tuck! Mine, and the
taxes paid. I use it as a rest-house for
weary and jaded crooks, if that will
ease your mind !"
Cassowary struck matches and lighted
candles, disclosing a half -furnished room
in great disorder. Old clothing, paper
bags that had contained food, a violin,
and books in good bindings littered a
table in the middle of the floor, and
articles of clothing were heaped in con-
fusion on a time-battered settle. The
odor of stale pipe smoke hung upon
the air. Under an empty bottle on the
mantel Hood found a scrap of paper
which he scanned for a moment and
then tore into pieces.
"Just a scratch from good old Fogarty;
he's been taking the rest-cure here be-
tween jobs. Skipped yesterday; same
chap that left his mark for me on that
155
THE MADNESS OF MAY
barn. One of the royal good fellows,
Fogarty; does his work neatly never
carries a gun or pots a cop; knows he
can climb out of any jail that ever was
made, and that, son, gives any man a
joyful sense of ease and security. The
Tombs might hold him, but he avoids
large cities; knows his limitations like
a true man of genius. Rare bird;
thrifty doesn't describe him; he's just
plain stingy; sells stolen postage-stamps
at par; the only living yegg that can
put that over! By George, I wouldn't
be surprised if he couldn't sell 'em at a
premium!"
As he talked he rummaged among the
old clothes, chose a mud-splashed pair
of trousers, and bade Deering put them
on, adding an even more disreputable
coat and hat. Cassowary helped him-
156
THE MADNESS OF MAY
self to a change of raiment, and Hood
selected what seemed to be the worst of
the lot.
"Three suspicious characters will be
noted by the constabulary of West
Dempster within two hours!" cried
Hood, hopping out of his dress trousers.
"Into the calaboose we shall go, my
dear Tuck ! Never say that I haven't
a thought for your peace and happi-
ness. It will give me joy unfeigned to
bring you face to face with your de-
lightful parent. Cassowary, my son,
I'm going to hide those bills of yours
in the lining of my coat for safety. If
they found ten thousand plunks on me,
they'd never let us go ! "
"Hood!" cried Deering in a voice
moist with tears, "for God's sake what
fool thing are you up to now?"
157
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"I tell you we're going to jail!"
Hood answered jubilantly. 'You've
dined in good company with the most
charming of girls at your side; you've
had a taste of the prosperous life; and
now it's fitting that we should touch
the other extreme. The moment we
step out of this shack we're criminals,
crooks, gallows meat;" he rolled this
last term under his tongue unctuously.
"This will top all our other adventures.
Here's hoping Fogarty may have pre-
ceded us. The old boy likes to get
pinched occasionally just for the fun of
it."
He was already blowing out the
candles, and, seizing his stick, led the
way back to the highway, with Deering
and Cassowary at his heels. The car
had been run into an old barn, which
158
THE MADNESS OP MAY
had evidently served Hood before.
Within twenty-four hours they would
be touring again, he announced. The
change from his dress clothes to ill-
fitting rags had evidently wrought a
change of mood. Between whiffs at
his pipe he sought consolation in Wag-
ner, chanting bars of "In fernem
Land."
Cassowary, who had adjusted himself
to this new situation without question,
whispered in Deering's ear: "Don't kick;
he's got something up his sleeve. And
he'll get you out of it; remember that !
I've been in jail with him before."
Deering drew away impatiently. He
was in no humor to welcome confidences
from Torrence, alias Cassowary, whom
his sister met clandestinely and kissed
the kiss rankled ! And yet it was noth-
159
THE MADNESS OF MAY
ing against Cassowary that he had been
following Hood about like an infatuated
fool. Deering knew himself to be equally
culpable on that score, and he was even
now trudging after the hypnotic vaga-
bond with a country calaboose as their
common goal. The chauffeur's interview
with Constance had evidently cheered
him mightily, and he joined his voice to
Hood's in a very fair rendering of "Ben
Bolt." Deering swore under his breath,
angry at Hood, and furious that he had
so little control of a destiny that seemed
urging him on to destruction.
160
IX
AT one o'clock West Dempster lay
*** dark and silent before them. As
they crossed a bridge into the town
Hood began to move cautiously.
"Remember that we give up without
a struggle: there's too much at stake
to risk a bullet now, and these country
lumpkins shoot first, and hand you their
cards afterward."
He dived into an alley, and emerged
midway of a block where a number of
barrels under a shed awning advertised
a grocery.
"Admirable !" whispered Hood, throw-
ing his arms about his comrades. "We
will now arouse the watch."
161
THE MADNESS OF MAY
With this he kicked a barrel into the
gutter, and jumped back like a mis-
chievous boy into the shelter of the
alley. Footsteps were heard in a mo-
ment, far down the street.
"These country cops are sometimes
shrewd, but often the silly children of
convention like the rest of us. West
Dempster has an evil reputation in the
underworld. The pinching of joy-riders
is purely incidental; they run in any-
body they catch after the curfew sounds
from the coffin factory."
A window overhead opened with a
bang, and a blast from a police whistle
pierced the air shrilly. Deering started
to run, but Hood upset him with a thrust
of his foot. Two men were already
creeping up behind them in the alley;
the owner of the grocery stole out of
162
THE MADNESS OF MAY
the front door in a long nightgown and
began howling dismally for help.
"Throw up your hands, boys; it's
no use!" cried Hood in mock despair.
Then the man hi the nightgown, after
menacing Hood with a pistol, stuck
the barrel of it into Deering's mouth,
opened inopportunely to protest his in-
nocence. The policemen threw them-
selves upon Hood and Cassowary,
toppled them over, and flashed electric
lamps in their faces.
"More o' them yeggs," announced
one of the officers with satisfaction as
he snapped a pair of handcuffs on Casso-
wary's wrists. "Don't you fellows try
any monkey-shines or we'll plug you
full o' lead. Trot along now."
The gentleman in the night-robe
wished to detain the party for a recital
163
THE MADNESS OF MAY
of his own prowess in giving warning
of the attempted burglary. The police
were disposed to make light of his as-
sistance, while Hood hung back to sup-
port the grocer's cause, a generosity on
his part that was received ill-temperedly
by the officers of the law. They bade
the grocer report to the magistrate Mon-
day morning, and they parted, but only
after Hood had shaken the crestfallen
grocer warmly by the hand, warning
him with the greatest solicitude against
further exposure to the night air. Two
other policemen appeared; the whole
force was doing them honor, Hood de-
clared proudly. He lifted his voice in
song, but the lyrical impulse was hushed
by a prod from a revolver. He con-
tinued to talk, however, assuring his
captors of his heartiest admiration for
164
" Throw up your hands, boys ; it's no use ! " cried Hood in
mock despair.
THE MADNESS OF MAY
their efficiency. He meant to recom-
mend them for positions in the secret
service men of their genius were wasted
upon a country town.
When they reached the town hall a
melancholy jailer roused himself and
conducted them to the lockup in the
rear of the building. Careful search
revealed nothing but a mass of crumpled
clippings and a pipe and tobacco in
Hood's pockets.
" Guess they dropped their tools some-
where," muttered one of the officers.
"My dear boy," explained Hood, "the
gentleman in the nightie, whom I take
to be a citizen and merchant of standing
in your metropolis, may be able to assist
you in finding them. We left our safe-
blowing apparatus in a chicken-coop in
his back yard."
165
THE MADNESS OF MAY
They were entered on the blotter as
R. Hood, F. Tuck, and Cass O'Weary
the last Hood spelled with the ut-
most care for the scowling turnkey and
charged with attempt to commit bur-
glary and arson.
Hood grumbled; he had hoped it
would be murder or piracy on the high
seas; burglary and arson were so com-
monplace, he remarked with a sigh.
The door closed upon them with an
echoing clang, and they found themselves
in a large coop, bare save for several
benches ranged along the walls. Two
of these were occupied by prisoners,
one of whom, a short, thick-set man,
snored vociferously. Hood noted his
presence with interest.
"Fogarty!" he whispered with a tri-
umphant wave of his hand.
166
THE MADNESS OF MAY
A tall man who had chosen a cot as
remote as possible from his fellow pris-
oner sat up and, seeing the newcomers,
stalked majestically to the door and
yelled dismally for the keeper, who
lounged indifferently to the cage, puffing
a cigar.
"This is an outrage!" roared the
prisoner. "Locking me up with these
felons these common convicts ! I de-
mand counsel; I'm going to have a
writ of habeas corpus ! When I get out
of here I'm going to go to the governor
of your damned State and complain of
this. All Connecticut shall know of
it ! All America shall hear of it ! To
be locked up with one safe-blower is
enough, and now you've stuck three
murderers into this rotten hole. I tell
you I can give bail. I tell you
167
THE MADNESS OF MAY
The jailer snarled and bade him be
quiet. In the tone of a man who is
careful of his words he threatened the
direst punishment for any further ex-
pression of the gentleman's opinions.
Whereupon the gentleman seized the
bars and shook them violently, and then,
as though satisfied that they were steel
of the best quality, dropped his arms
to his sides with a gesture of impotent
despair.
"Father!"
In spite of Constance's assertion, con-
firmed by Cassowary, Deering had not
believed that his father was in jail;
but the outraged gentleman who had
demanded the writ of habeas corpus
was, beyond question, Samuel J. Deer-
ing, head of the banking-house of Deer-
ing, Gaylord & Co. Mr. Deering was
168
THE MADNESS OF MAY
striding toward his bench with the sulky
droop of a premium batter who has
struck out with the bases full.
Scorning to glance at the creature in
rags who had flung himself in his path,
Samuel J. Deering lunged at him fiercely
with his right arm. Billy, ducking op-
portunely, saved his indignant parent
from tumbling upon the floor by catch-
ing him in his arms. Feeling that he
had been attacked by a ruffian, Mr.
Deering yelled that he was being mur-
dered.
"I'm Billy! For God's sake, be
quiet!"
The senior Deering tottered to the wall.
"Billy! What are you in for?" he
demanded finally.
"Burglary, arson, and little things
like that," Billy answered with a jaun-
169
THE MADNESS OF MAY
tiness that surprised him as much as it
pained his father, who continued to
stare uncomprehendingly.
'You've been reading that damned
book, too, have you?" he whispered
hoarsely in his son's ear. 'You've gone
crazy like everybody else, have you?"
"I've been kidnaped, if that's what
you mean," Billy answered with a mean-
ingful glance over his shoulder, and then
with a fine attempt at bravado: "I'm
Friar Tuck, and that chap smoking a
pipe is Robin Hood."
Ordinarily his father's sense of humor
could be trusted to respond to an in-
telligent appeal. A slow grin had over-
spread Mr. Deering's face as Friar Tuck
was mentioned, but when Billy added
Robin Hood his father's countenance
underwent changes indicative of hope,
170
THE MADNESS OF MAY
fear, and chagrin. Clinging to Billy's
shoulder, he peered through the gloom
of the cage toward Hood, who lay on
a bench, his coat rolled up for a pillow,
tranquilly smoking, with his eyes fixed
upon the steel roof.
"Hood!" Mr. Deering walked slowly
toward Hood's bench.
Hood sat up, took his pipe from his
mouth, and nodded.
"Hood, this is my father," said Billy.
"A great pleasure, I'm sure," Hood
responded courteously, extending his
hand. "I suppose it was inevitable that
we should meet sooner or later, Mr.
Deering."
"You you are Bob Bob Tyring-
ham?" asked Deering anxiously.
"Right!" cried Hood in his usual
assured manner. "And I will say for
171
THE MADNESS OF MAY
you that you have given me a good
chase. I confess that I didn't think you
capable of it; I swear I didn't! Tuck,
I congratulate you; your father is one
of the true brotherhood of the stars.
He's been chasing me for a month and,
by Jove, he's kept me guessing ! But
when I heard that he'd been jailed for
speeding, with a prospect of spending
Sunday in this hole, I decided that it
was time to throw down the mask."
Lights began to dance in the remote
recesses of Billy's mind. Hood was
Robert Tyringham, for whom his father
held as trustee two million dollars.
Tyringham had not been heard of in
years. The only son of a most practical
father, he had been from youth a vic-
tim of the wanderlust, absenting himself
from home for long periods. For ten
172
THE MADNESS OF MAY
years he had been on the list of the
missing. That Hood should be this
man was unbelievable. But the senior
Deering seemed not to question his
identity. He sat down with a deep sigh
and then began to laugh.
"If I hadn't found you by next
Wednesday, I should have had to turn
your property over to a dozen charitable
institutions provided for by your father's
will and, by George, I've been fight-
ing a temptation to steal it!" His arms
clasped Billy's shoulder convulsively.
"It's been horrible, ghastly! I've been
afraid I might find you and afraid I
wouldn't! I tell you it's been hell.
I've spent thousands of dollars trying
to find you, fearing one day you might
turn up, and the next day afraid you
wouldn't. And, you know, Tyringham,
173
THE MADNESS OF MAY
your father was my dearest friend; that's
what made it all so horrible. I want
you to know about it, Billy; I want you
to know the worst about me; I'm not
the man you thought me. When I
started away with Constance and told
you I was going to California I decided
to make a last effort to find Tyringham.
I read a damned novel that acted on
me like a poison; that's why I've made
a fool of myself in a thousand ways,
thinking that by masquerading over the
country 1 might catch Tyringham at his
own game. And now you know what I
might have been; you see what I was
trying to be a common thief, a betrayer
of a sacred trust."
"Don't talk like that, father," began
Billy, shaken by his father's humility.
"I guess we're in the same hole, only
174
THE MADNESS OF MAY
I'm in deeper. I tried to rob you. I
tried to steal some of that Tyringham
money myself, but but
Hood, wishing to leave the two alone
for their further confidences, walked to
the recumbent Fogarty, roused him with
a dig in the ribs, and conferred with
him in low tones.
"You took the stuff from my box,
Billy?" Mr. Deering asked.
Billy waited apprehensively for what
might follow. It was possible that his
father had already robbed the Tyring-
ham estate; the thought chilled him
into dejection.
"I had stolen it. My God, I couldn't
help it!" Deering groaned. "I left that
waste paper in the box to fool myself,
and put the real stuff in another place.
I hoped yes, that was it, I hoped I'd
175
THE MADNESS OF MAY
never find Tyringham and I could keep
those bonds. But all the time I kept
looking for him. You see, Billy, I could-
n't be as bad as I wanted to be; and
yet "
He drew his hand across his face as
though to shut out the picture he saw
of himself as a felon.
"Oh, you wouldn't have done it;
you couldn't have done it!" cried Billy,
anxious to mitigate his father's misery.
"If you hadn't hidden the real bonds, I'd
have been a thief! Ned Ranscomb was
trying to corner Mizpah and needed my
help. I put in all I had that two hun-
dred thousand you gave me my last
birthday, and then he skipped. When
I get hold of him !"
:< You put two hundred thousand in
Mizpah?"
176
THE MADNESS OF MAY
"I did, like a fool, and, of course, it's
lost ! Ned went daffy about a girl and
dropped Mizpah and my money!"
Mr. Deering was once more a business
man. "What did Ranscomb buy at?"
he asked curtly.
"Seven and a quarter."
"Then you needn't kick Ned! The
Ranscombs put through their deal and
Mizpah's gone to forty!"
Hood rejoined them, and they talked
till daylight. He told them much of
himself. The responsibility of a great
fortune had not appealed to him; he
had been honest in his preference for the
vagabond life, but realized, now that
he was well launched upon middle age,
that it was only becoming and decent
for him to alter his ways. Billy's liking
for him, that had struggled so rebel-
177
THE MADNESS OF MAY
liously against impatience and distrust,
warmed to the heartiest admiration.
"Of course I knew you were mar-
ried,'* the senior Deering remarked for
Billy's enlightenment, "and now and
then I got glimpses of you in your gypsy
life. Your wife had a fortune of her
own she was one of Augustus Davis' s
daughters so of course she hasn't suf-
fered from your foolishness."
"My wife shared my tastes; there
has never been the slightest trouble
between us. Our daughter is just like
us. But now Mrs. Tyringham thinks
we ought to settle down and be re-
spectable."
"I knew your wife and daughter had
come home. I had got that far," Mr.
Deering resumed. "And after I began
to suspect that you and Hood were the
178
THE MADNESS OF MAY
same person I put my own daughter
into your house on the Dempster road
as a spy to watch for you."
"My wife wasn't fooled for a minute,"
Hood chuckled. "We were having our
last fling before we settled down for
the rest of our days. We all have the
same weakness for a springtime lark : my
wife, my daughter, and I."
Billy ran his hands through his hair.
"Pierrette ! Pierrette is your daughter ! ' '
"Certainly," replied Hood; "and
Columbine, the dearest woman in the
world, is my wife, and Pantaloon my
father-in-law. In my affair with you
there was only one coincidence: every-
thing else was planned. It was Pier-
rette, whose real name is Roberta
Bobby for short, when we're not play-
ing a game of some sort Bobby really
179
THE MADNESS OF MAY
did lift your suitcase by mistake. And
it was stowed away in Cassowary's car
when I came to your house intending
to return it. But when I saw that you
needed diversion I decided to give you
a whirl. It was an easy matter for
Cassowary to move the suitcase to the
bungalow, where you found it. I steered
you to the house on purpose to see how
you and Bobby would hit it off. The
result seems to have been satisfactory!"
Cassowary turned uneasily on his
bench.
"And before we quit all this foolish-
ness," Hood resumed with a glance at
the chauffeur, "there's one thing I want
to ask you, Mr. Deering, as a special
favor. That chap lying over there is
Tommy Torrence, whom you kicked off
your door-step for daring to love your
180
THE MADNESS OF MAY
daughter. He's one of the best fellows
in the world. Just because his father,
the old senator, didn't quite hit it off
with you in a railroad deal before Tommy
was born is no reason why you should
take it out on the boy. He started for
the bad after you made a row over his
attentions to your daughter, but he's
been with me six months and he's as
right and true a chap as ever lived.
You've got to fix it up with him or I'll
I'll well, I'll be pretty hard on your
boy if he ever wants to break into my
family!"
With this Hood rose and drew from
his pocket a handful of newspaper clip-
pings which he threw into the air and
watched flutter to the floor.
"Those are some of your advertise-
ments offering handsome rewards for
181
THE MADNESS OF MAY
news of me dead or alive. In collecting
them I've had a mighty good time.
Let's all go to sleep; to-morrow night
the genial Fogarty will get us out of
this. He's over there now sawing the
first bar of that window !"
182
A YEAR has passed and it is May
**- again and the last day of that
month of enchantment. There has been
a house-party at the Deering place at
Radford Hills. Constance came from
Wyoming to spend May with her father,
bringing with her, of course, her hus-
band, sometime known as Cassowary,
who has been elected to the legislature
of his State and, may, it is reported,
be governor one of these days. The
Tyringhams are there, and this includes
Robert Tyringham, alias R. Hood, and
his wife (whose authorship of 'The
Madness of May," has not yet been
acknowledged) and also her father, Au-
gustus Davis, who continues to find
183
THE MADNESS OF MAY
recreation in frequent attacks upon any
inoffensive piano that gets in his way.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Ranscomb, too,
have shared Mr. Deering's hospitality.
Marriage has not interrupted Mrs. Rans-
comb's career as an artist, though she
has dropped illustrating, and is special-
izing hi children's portraits with dis-
tinguished success.
The senior Deering, wholly at peace
with his conscience, does not work as
hard as he used to before his taste of
adventurous life gained in the pursuit of
Hood. He is very proud of his daughter-
in-law, whose brown eyes bring constant
cheer and happiness to his table. If
she does not hang moons in trees any
more, she is still quite capable of doing
so, and has no idea of permitting her
husband to wear himself out in the
184
THE MADNESS OF MAY
banking-house. They are going to keep
some time every year for play, she de-
clares, to the very end of their lives.
Hood had been devoting himself as-
siduously to mastering the details of
his business affairs, living as other men
do, keeping regular office hours in a
tall building with an outlook toward
the sea, and taking his recreation on
the golf-links every other afternoon.
"Mamma has been nervous all this
month about papa," Roberta (known
otherwise as Pierrette or Bobby) was
saying as she and Billy slowly paced
the veranda. "But now May is over
and he hasn't shown any disposition to
run away. I suppose he's really cured."
There was a tinge of regret in her last
words.
"Yes," Billy replied carelessly. "He
185
THE MADNESS OF MAY
hasn't mentioned his old roving days
lately. I think he's even sensitive about
having them referred to."
"But even if he should want to go,
mamma wouldn't break her heart about
it. She feels that it's really something
fine in him: his love of the out-of-doors,
and adventures, and knowing all sorts
and conditions of men. And he has
really helped lots of people, just as he
helped you. And he always had so
much fun when we all played gypsy,
or he went off alone and came back
with no end of good stories. I'm just
a little sorry "
They paused, clasping hands and look-
ing off at the starry canopy. Sud-
denly from the side of the house a man
walked slowly, hesitatingly. He stopped,
turned, glanced at the veranda, and
186
THE MADNESS OF MAY
then, sniffing the air, walked rapidly
toward the gate, swinging a stick, his
face lifted to the stars.
Bobby's hand clasped Billy's more
tightly as they watched in silence.
"It's papa; he's taking to the road
again!" she murmured.
"But he'll come back; it won't be
for long this time. I haven't the heart
to stop him !"
"No," she said softly, "it would be
cruel to do that."
The lamps at the gate shone upon
Robert Tyringham as he paused and
then, with a characteristic flourish of
his stick, turned westward and strode
away into the night.
187
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