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Gilbert did a Pygmalion…and…Galatea act。 He changed from a statue of stupefaction to a young man with a problem to tackle。 He admitted Nevada； got a whiskbroom； and began to brush the snow from her clothes。 A great lamp； with a green shade； hung over an easel； where the artist had been sketching in crayon。
〃You wanted me；〃 said Nevada simply； 〃 and I came。 You said so in your letter。 What did you send for me for？〃
〃You read my letter？〃 inquired Gilbert； sparring for wind。
〃Barbara read it to me。 I saw it afterward。 It said： 'Come to my studio at twelve to…night； and do not fail。' I thought you were sick； of course； but you don't seem to be。〃
〃Aha！〃 said Gilbert irrelevantly。 〃I'll tell you why I asked you to come； Nevada。 I want you to marry me immediately to…night。 What's a little snow…storm？ Will you do it？〃
〃You might have noticed that I would； long ago；〃 said Nevada。 〃And I'm rather stuck on the snow…storm idea； myself。 I surely would hate one of these flowery church noon…weddings。 Gilbert； I didn't know you had grit enough to propose it this way。 Let's shock 'emit's our funeral； ain't it？〃
〃You bet！〃 said Gilbert。 〃Where did I hear that expression？〃 he added to himself。 〃Wait a minute； Nevada； I want to do a little 'phoning。〃
He shut himself in a little dressing…room； and called upon the lightnings of tile heavenscondensed into unromantic numbers and districts。
〃That you； Jack？ You confounded sleepyhead！ Yes； wake up； this is meor Ioh； bother the difference in grammar！ I'm going to be married right away。 Yes！ Wake up your sisterdon't answer me back； bring her along； tooyou must！。 Remind Agnes of the time I saved her from drowning in Lake RonkonkomaI know it's caddish to refer to it； but she must come with you。 Yes。 Nevada is here； waiting。 We've been engaged quite a while。 Some opposition among the relatives； you know； and we have to pull it off this way。 We're waiting here for you。 Don't let Agnes out…talk youbring her！ You will？ Good old boy！ I'll order a carriage to call for you； double…quick time。 Confound you； Jack； you're all right！〃
Gilbert returned to the room where Nevada waited。
〃My old friend； Jack Peyton； and his sister were to have been here at a quarter to twelve；〃 he explained； 〃but Jack is so confoundedly slow。 I've just 'phoned them to hurry。 They'll be here in a few minutes。 I'm the happiest man in the world； Nevada！ What did you do with the letter I sent you to…day ？〃
〃I've got it cinched here；〃 said Nevada； pulling it out from beneath her opera…cloak。
Gilbert drew the letter from the envelope and looked it over carefully。 Then he looked at Nevada thoughtfully。
〃Didn't you think it rather queer that I should ask you to come to my studio at midnight？〃 he asked。 〃Why； no；〃 said Nevada； rounding her eyes。 〃Not if you needed me。 Out West； when a pal sends you a hurry callain't that what you say here ？we get there first and talk about it after the row is over。 And it's usually snowing there； too； when things happen。 So I didn't mind。〃
Gilbert rushed into another room； and came back burdened with overcoats warranted to turn wind； rain； or snow。
〃Put this raincoat on；〃 he said； holding it for her。 〃We have a quarter of a mile to go。 Old Jack and his sister will be here in a few minutes。〃 He began to struggle into a heavy coat。 〃Oh； Nevada；〃 he said； 〃just look at the head…lines on the front page of that evening paper on the table； will you？ It's about your section of the West； and I know it will interest you。〃
He waited a full minute； pretending to find trouble in the getting on of his overcoat； and then turned。 Nevada had not moved。 She was looking at him with strange and pensive directness。 Her cheeks had a flush on them beyond the color that had been contributed by the wind and snow； but her eyes were steady。
〃I was going to tell you；〃 she said； 〃anyhow； before youbefore we before…well； before anything。 Dad never gave me a day of schooling。 I never learned to read or write a darned word。 Now if〃 Pounding their uncertain way up…stairs； the feet of Jack； the somnolent； and Agnes； the grateful； were heard。
V
When Mr。 and Mrs。 Gilbert Warren were spinning softly homeward in a closed carriage； after the ceremony； Gilbert s said：
〃Nevada； would you really like to know what I wrote you in the letter that you received to…night？〃
〃Fire away！〃 said his bride。
〃Word for word；〃 said Gilbert； 〃it was this： 'My dear Miss Warren…You were right about the flower。 It was a hydrangea； and not a lilac。'
〃All right；〃 said Nevada。 〃But let's forget it。 The joke's on Barbara； anyway！〃
THIMBLE； THIMBLE
These are the directions for finding the I office of Carteret & Carteret； Mill Supplies and Leather Belting： You follow the Broadway trail down until you pass the Crosstown Line； the Bread Line； and the Dead Line； and come to the Big Canons of the Moneygrubber Tribe。 Then you turn to the left； to the right； dodge a push…cart and the tongue of a two…ton； four…horse dray and hop； skip； and jump to a granite ledge on the side of a twenty…one…story synthetic mountain of stone and iron。 In the twelfth story is the office of Carteret & Carteret。 The factory where they make the mill supplies and leather belting is in Brooklyn。 Those commoditiesto say nothing of Brooklynnot being of interest to you； let us hold the incidents within the confines of a one…act； one…scene play； thereby lessening the toil of the reader and the expenditure of the publisher。 So； if you have the courage to face four pages of type and Carteret & Carteret's office boy； Percival； you shall sit on a varnished chair in the inner office and peep at the little comedy of the Old Nigger Man； the Hunting…Case Watch； and the Open…Faced Questionmostly borrowed from the late Mr。 Frank Stockton； as you will conclude。
First； biography （but pared to the quick） must intervene。 I am for the inverted sugar…coated quinine pillthe bitter on the outside。
The Carterets were； or was （Columbia College professors please rule）； an old Virginia family。 Long time ago the gentlemen of the family had worn lace ruffles and carried tinless foils and owned plantations and had slaves to burn。 But the war had greatly reduced their holdings。 （Of course you can perceive at once that this flavor has been shoplifted from Mr。 F。 Hopkinson Smith； in spite of the 〃et〃 after 〃Carter。〃） Well； anyhow：
In digging up the Carteret history I shall not take you farther back than the year 1620。 The two original American Carterets came over in that year； but by different means of transportation。 One brother； named John； came in the Mayflower and became a Pilgrim Father。 You've seen his picture on the covers of the Thanksgiving magazines； hunting turkeys in the deep snow with a blunderbuss。 Blandford Carteret； the other brother； crossed the pond in his own brigantine； landed on the Virginia coast； and became an F。F。V。 John became distinguished for piety and shrewdness in business； Blandford for his pride； juleps； marksmanship； and vast slave…cultivated plantations。
Then came the Civil War。 （I must condense this historical interpolation。） Stonewall Jackson was shot； Lee surrendered； Grant
toured the world； cotton went to nine cents； Old Crow whiskey and Jim Crow cars were invented； the Seventy…ninth Massachusetts Volunteers returned to the Ninety…seventh Alabama Zouaves the battle flag of Lundy's Lane which they bought at a second…hand store in Chelsea kept by a man named Skzchnzski； Georgia sent the President a sixty…pound watermelonand that brings us up to the time when the story begins。 My！ but that was sparring for an opening！ I really must brush op on my Aristotle。
The Yankee Carterets went into business in New York long before the war。 Their house； as far as Leather Belting and Mill Supplies was concerned； was as musty and arrogant and solid as one of those old East India tea…importing concerns that you read about in Dickens。 There were some rumors of a war behind its counters； but not enough to affect the business。
During and after the war； Blandford Carteret； F。F。V。； lost his plantations； juleps； marksmanship； and life。 He bequeathed little more than his pride to his surviving family。 So it came to pass that Blandford Carteret； the Fifth； aged fifteen； was invited by the leather…and…millsupplies branch of that name to come North and learn business instead of hunting foxes and boasting of the glory of his fathers on the reduced acres of his impoverished family。 The boy jumped at the chance； and； at the age of twenty…five； sat in the office of the firm equal partner with John； the Fifth； of the blunderbuss…and…turkey branch。 Here the story begins again。
The young men were about the same age； smooth of face； alert； easy of manner； and with an air that promised mental and physical quickness。 They were razored； blue…serged； straw…hatted； and pearl stick…pinned like other young New Yorkers who might be millionaires or bill clerks。
One afternoon at four o'clock； in the private office of the firm； Blandford Carteret o