head　girl　an　the　stool　climbed　down；　glancing
  pointedly　at　the　clock　as　she　did　so。　　The　girl　in
  gray　mounted　in　her　place。
  The　young　man　thrust　his　hands　into　his　pockets
  and　walked　slowly　back　along　the　sidewalk。　　At　the
  corner　his　foot　struck　a　small；　paper…covered　volume
  lying　there；　sending　it　sliding　to　the　edge　of　the
  turf。　　By　its　picturesque　cover　he　recognized　it　as
  the　book　the　girl　had　been　reading。　　He　picked　it　up
  carelessly；　and　saw　that　its　title　was　〃New　Arabian
  Nights；〃　the　author　being　of　the　name　of　Stevenson。
  He　dropped　it　again　upon　the　grass；　and　lounged；
  irresolute；　for　a　minute。　　Then　he　stepped　into　the
  automobile；　reclined　upon　the　cushions；　and　said　two
  words　to　the　chauffeur：
  〃Club；　Henri。〃
  A　COMEDY　IN　RUBBER
  One　may　hope；　in　spite　of　the　metaphorists；　to
  avoid　the　breath　of　the　deadly　upas　tree；　one　may；　by
  great　good　fortune；　succeed　in　blacking　the　eye　of　the
  basilisk；　one　might　even　dodge　the　attentions　of　Cer…
  berus　and　Argus；　but　no　man；　alive　or　dead；　can　es…
  cape　the　gaze　of　the　Rubberer。
  New　York　is　the　Caoutchouc　City。　　There　are
  many；　of　course；　who　go　their　ways；　making　money；
  without　turning　to　the　right　or　the　left；　but　there　is　a
  tribe　abroad　wonderfully　composed；　like　the　Martians；
  solely　of　eyes　and　means　of　locomotion。
  These　devotees　of　curiosity　swarm；　like　flies；　in　a
  moment　in　a　struggling；　breathless　circle　about　the
  scene　of　an　unusual　occurrence。　　If　a　workman　opens
  a　manhole；　if　a　street　car　runs　over　a　man　from
  North　Tarrytown；　if　a　little　boy　drops　an　egg　on
  his　way　home　from　the　grocery；　if　a　casual　house　or
  two　drops　into　the　subway；　if　a　lady　loses　a　nickel
  through　a　hole　in　the　lisle　thread；　if　the　police　drag
  a　telephone　and　a　racing　chart　forth　from　an　Ibsen
  Society　reading…room；　if　Senator　Depew　or　Mr。
  Chuck　Connors　walks　out　to　take　the　air　…　if　any　of
  these　incidents　or　accidents　takes　place；　you　will　see
  the　mad；　irresistible　rush　of　the　〃rubber〃　tribe　to
  the　spot。
  The　importance　of　the　event　does　not　count。　　They
  gaze　with　equal　interest　and　absorption　at　a　cho…
  rus　girl　or　at　a　man　painting　a　liver　pill　sign。　　They
  will　form　as　deep　a　cordon　around　a　man　with　a　club…
  foot　as　they　will　around　a　balked　automobile。　　They
  have　the　furor　rubberendi。　　They　are　optical　glut…
  tons；　feasting　and　fattening　on　the　misfortunes　of
  their　fellow　beings。　　They　gloat　and　pore　and　glare
  and　squint　and　stare　with　their　fishy　eyes　like　goggle…
  eyed　perch　at　the　book　baited　with　calamity。
  It　would　seem　that　Cupid　would　find　these　ocular
  vampires　too　cold　game　for　his　calorific　shafts；　but
  have　we　not　yet　to　discover　an　immune　even　among
  the　Protozoa？　　Yes；　beautiful　Romance　descended
  upon　two　of　this　tribe；　and　love　came　into　their
  hearts　as　they　crowded　about　the　prostrate　form
  of　a　man　who　had　been　run　over　by　a　brewery　wagon。
  William　Pry　was　the　first　on　the　spot。　　He　was　an
  expert　at　such　gatherings。　　With　an　expression　of　in…
  tense　happiness　on　his　features；　be　stood　over　the　vic…
  tim　of　the　accident；　listening　to　his　groans　as　if　to
  the　sweetest　music。　　When　the　crowd　of　spectators
  had　swelled　to　a　closely　packed　circle　William　saw　a
  violent　commotion　in　the　crowd　opposite　him。　　Men
  were　hurled　aside　like　ninepins　by　the　impact　of　some
  moving　body　that　clove　them　like　the　rush　of　a　tor…
  nado。　With　elbows；　umbrella；　hat…pin；　tongue；　and
  fingernails　doing　their　duty；　Violet　Seymour　forced
  her　way　through　the　mob　of　onlookers　to　the　first　row。
  Strong　men　who　even　had　been　able　to　secure　a　seat
  on　the　5。30　Harlem　express　staggered　back　like　chil…
  dren　as　she　bucked　centre。　　Two　large　lady　spectators
  who　bad　seen　the　Duke　of　Roxburgh　married　and
  had　often　blocked　traffic　on　Twenty…third　Street
  fell　back　into　the　second　row　with　ripped　shirtwaists
  when　Violet　had　finished　with　them。　　William　Pry
  loved　her　at　first　sight。
  The　ambulance　removed　the　unconscious　agent　of
  Cupid。　　William　and　Violet　remained　after　the　crowd
  had　dispersed。　　They　were　true　Rubberers。　　People
  who　leave　the　scene　of　an　accident　with　the　ambulance
  have　not　genuine　caoutchouc　in　the　cosmogony　of
  their　necks。　　The　delicate；　fine　flavor　of　the　affair　is
  to　be　bad　only　in　the　after…taste　…　in　gloating　over
  the　spot；　in　gazing　fixedly　at　the　houses　opposite；　in
  hovering　there　in　a　dream　more　exquisite　than　the
  opium…eater's　ecstasy。　　William　Pry　and　Violet　Sey…
  mour　were　connoisseurs　in　casualties。　　They　knew　bow
  to　extract　full　enjoyment　from　every　incident。
  Presently　they　looked　at　each　other。　　Violet　had　a
  brown　birthmark　on　her　neck　as　large　as　a　silver
  half…dollar。　　William　fixed　his　eyes　upon　it。　　William
  Pry　had　inordinately　bowed　legs。　　Violet　allowed　her
  gaze　to　linger　unswervingly　upon　them。　　Face　to　face
  they　stood　thus　for　moments；　each　staring　at　the
  other。　　Etiquette　would　not　allow　them　to　speak；　but
  in　the　Caoutchouc　City　it　is　permitted　to　gaze　with…
  out　stint　at　the　trees　in　the　parks　and　at　the　physi…
  cal　blemishes　of　a　fellow　creature。
  At　length　with　a　sigh　they　parted。　　But　Cupid　had
  been　the　driver　of　the　brewery　wagon；　and　the　wheel
  that　broke　a　leg　united　two　fond　hearts。
  The　next　meeting　of　the　hero　and　heroine　was　in
  front　of　a　board　fence　near　Broadway。　　The　day　had
  been　a　disappointing　one。　　There　had　been　no　fights
  on　the　street；　children　had　kept　from　under　the　wheels
  of　the　street　cars；　cripples　and　fat　men　in　negligee
  shirts　were　scarce；　nobody　seemed　to　be　inclined　to
  slip　on　banana　peels　or　fall　down　with　heart　disease。
  Even　the　sport　from　Kokomo；　Ind。；　who　claims　to
  be　a　cousin　of　ex…Mayor　Low　and　scatters　nickels
  from　a　cab　window；　had　not　put　in　his　appearance。
  There　was　nothing　to　stare　at；　and　William　Pry　had
  premonitions　of　ennui。
  But　he　saw　a　large　crowd　scrambling　and　pushing
  excitedly　in　front　of　a　billboard。　　Sprinting　for　it；
  he　knocked　down　an　old　woman　and　a　child　carrying
  a　bottle　of　milk；　and　fought　his　way　like　a　demon　into
  the　mass　of　spectators。　　Already　in　the　inner　line
  stood　Violet　Seymour　with　one　sleeve　and　two　gold　fill…
  ings　gone；　a　corset　steel　puncture　and　a　sprained
  wrist；　but　happy。　She　was　looking　at　what　there
  was　to　see。　　　A　man　was　painting　upon　the　fence：
  〃Eat　Bricklets　…　They　Fill　Your　Face。〃
  Violet　blushed　when　she　saw　William　Pry。　　William
  jabbed　a　lady　in　a　black　silk　raglan　in　the　ribs；　kicked
  a　boy　in　the　shin；　bit　an　old　gentleman　on　the　left　ear
  and　managed　to　crowd　nearer　to　Violet。　　They　stood
  for　an　hour　looking　at　the　man　paint　the　letters。
  Then　William's　love　could　be　repressed　no　longer。
  He　touched　her　on　the　arm。
  〃Come　with　me；〃　he　said。　〃I　know　where　there
  is　a　bootblack　without　an　Adam's　apple。〃
  She　looked　up　at　him　shyly；　yet　with　unmistakable
  love　transfiguring　her　countenance。
  〃And　you　have　saved　it　for　me？〃　she　asked；
  trembling　with　the　first　dim　ecstasy　of　a　woman　be…
  loved。
  Together　they　hurried　to　the　bootblack's　stand。
  An　hour　they　spent　there　gazing　at　the　malformed
  youth。
  A　window…cleaner　fell　from　the　fifth　story　to　the
  sidewalk　beside　them。　　As　the　ambulance　came　clang…
  ing　up　William　pressed　her　hand　joyously。　　〃Four
  ribs　at　least　and　a　compound　fracture；〃　he　whispered；
  swiftly。　　〃You　are　not　sorry　that　you　met　me；　are
  you；　dearest？
  〃Me？〃　said　Violet；　returning　the　pressure。　　〃Sure
  not。　　I　could　stand　all　day　rubbering　with　you。〃
  The　climax　of　the　romance　occurred　a　few　days
  later。　　Perhaps　the　reader　will　remember　the　intense
  excitement　into　which　the　city　was　thrown　when　Eliza
  Jane；　a　colored　woman；　was　served　with　a　subpoena。
  The　Rubber　Tribe　encamped　on　the　spot。　　With　his
  own　hands　William　Pry　placed　a　board　upon　two　beer
  kegs　in　the　street　opposite　Eliza　Jane's　residence。
  He　and　Violet　sat　there　for　three　days　and　nights。
  Then　it　occurred　to　a　detective　to　open　the　door　and
  serve　the　subpoena。　　He　sent　for　a　kinetoscope　and
  did　so。
  Two　souls　with　such　congenial　tastes　could　not　long
  remain　apart。　　As　a　policeman　drove　them　away　with
  his　night　stick　that　evening　they　plighted　their　troth。
  The　seeds　of　love　bad　been　well　sown；　and　had　grown
  up；　hardy　and　vigorous；　into　a　…　let　us　call　it　a　rub…
  ber　plant。
  The　wedding　of　William　Pry　and　Violet　Seymour
  was　set　for　June　10。　　The　Big　Church　in　the　Middle
  of　the　Block　was　banked　high　with　flowers。　　The
  populous　tribe　of　Rubberers　the　world　over　is　ram…
  pant　over　weddings。　　They　are　the　pessimists　of　the
  pews。　　They　are　the　guyers　of　the　groom　and　the
  banterers　of　the　bride。　　They　come　to　laugh　at　your
  marriage；　and　should　you　escape　from　Hymen's
  tower　on　the　back　of　death's　pale　steed　they　will
  come　to　the　funeral　and　sit　in　the　same　pew　and　cry
  over　your　luck。　　Rubber　will　stretch。
  The　church　was　lighted。　　A　grosgrain　carpet　lay
  over