The Spectator., 1914-12-25

she aWOke N1ta na0 Van1Sn6Q. Ana every one was away And now Sam hill, he, too, is gone! Oh! Merciful Mother!"
 "Sit down and be calm!" cried Pe- dro. Tell me all. What has hap pened"
 Lucky 1t is that Samhill left the address!" exclaimed Guniviere. And lucky, too, that could find thee. Now, all will be well!"
 Thanks, oh! smooth tongue. for thy faith in me" replied Pedro. But what has happened? Tell me, quickly!" Yesterday we left her with Anna" began Guneviere, and told of Nita's illness and strange disappearance.
 How very queer!" he commented, when she had finished. How unlike Nita! And Hill? What has he done?"
 He has not come home!"
 But there is nothing strange in l that!" objected Pedro. Does he not often stay away all night, eh?"
 But tbe bear came home!" walled Guneviere.
 MT. Jones! Alone! Impossible!'
 "A policeman-of-the-law brought him." explained Guneviere. saying | that he found the bear near the river. l The name was on the collar, and the l number, tu savis!"
 1 Saint Joseph! but that does look serious!" Pedro exclaimed. Quick! is there nothing more?" 1 Only that the policeman-of-the-law made much noise when he found that I four bears dwelt within the tenement. He says we must move out. Four bears are not permitted. One bear l perhaps, if much money be paid. But l four! No, that is not allowed!" And what have you done?' l We have arranged to go into the back tenement" said Guneviere, evi- dently convinced that the change would solve the difficulty l But, Hill! Something must have happened to him? And the bear left him" said Pedro, walking up and down excitedly. He may have been hurt! Near the river, eh? Good heavens. 1 scarcely dare guess what has occurred!"
 The hospitals?" suggested Gune- yiere with some faint return of her usual practicality.
 "Ah! yes," he exclaimed, T shall telephone them at once, and then shall go to Jones street with you. As for Nita, we shall have to find her without help; she has made me swear never to invoke public aid in her behalf. you know"
 Yes, yes" said Guneviere, you will come, then?"
 Directly" he cried. No time must be lost"
 But as 1t proved, time mattered little. for the hospitals told nothing. and neither did that grim lost and found office. the morgue. For two whole days Pedro alternated between his studio and the rear tenement on Jones street, his mind in an agony of uncertainty. He could not work for nervousness. and the combined sus. pense and inaction played havoc with his spirit. Leigh had been called out of town to see his mother, who was iE. and there was no one else to whom Pedro dared go for advice and help. Hill himself had forbidden that his af- fairs be made known to anyone but the sculptor, or Pedro might have asked Milligan's assistance. As it was. he could only fume impatiently, and eat his heart out with worry. At last. no longer able to endure doing noth- ing, he called council of war in the tenement kitchen. To the assembled bear-dancers, with exception only of the stiu mysteriously absent Nita, he arose and spoke.
 "I am going to find Sam Hill, if he ] k on the face of the earth!" he an nounced. ''I am convinced that some misfortune has befallen him. In half an hour I am going to take MT. Jones with me, and am not coming back till we have succeeded in discovering the whereabouts of my friend" | "Bien! And l." said Beau-Jean. from his seat on the foot of the bed. 'T will go with you to find that Sam hill, who is my friend. aussi."
 Very good!" said Pedro, "all is ar. ranged Come, Strong Arm, we will go."
 On the instant they began collecting the few traps necessary for short absence. and while they were in the midst of these preparations, the door was thrown open to admit an old woman.
 ''Nita!" yelled Pedro, springing toward her,
 Instantly the room was in an up- roar. all talking at once. laughing and weeping. shouting questions, making offers of help. proffering food and drink, crowding around the crone with such clamor and persistence that Pe- dro could scarcely manage to get her to chair. Then she sat beaming upon them all. apparently in the best of health and delighted at the well l come afforded her. Her clothes were,