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THE MISER'S REVERSION 77 received a call from the industrious president upon each succeeding day. Jethro rarely left the living-room back of the shop, hut the quantity of stuffed rats attracted his attention. "A rare collector, eh?" he said, rubbing his hent hands. "Every man according to his taste." Jack Torrance found many excuses to satisfy his assumed mania. There were mounts and poses to be dis- cussed, the bringing and fetching away of specimens, and many appeals to May's judgment in matters of taxi- dermal artistry. They became friends, and from friends, lovers. And, in the mean- time, Jethro Poor had never clapped eyes upon his best customer. "Isn't it about time, dear," sug- gested that worthy to May one late afternoon, "that I have the honor of speech with your male parent?" " Oh! Jack, yes—but be very, very careful." Jack was ushered into the mys- terious back room, and its comforts surprised him. His eyes met great shelves filled with rare books, two or three fine bits of sculpture, and before a cheery, open fire sat a seedy old man deep in a volume of Darwin. "Father," May introduced, "this is Mr. Torrance, the president of the Society for the Extermination of Rats." "How do you do?" said Jethro, scarcely looking up; "very fine weather, sir." As it was raining hard outside, Jack felt that he had not made a de- cided impression. "I feel that I must discard my titles, sir," he said sweetly, "in ad- dressing May's father, the eminent and illustrious " "Did I understand you to say 'May'?" asked Jethro, dropping his book. "Yes, you heard correctly," said Jack, valiantly, "and I've come to ask for her hand." Jethro sat bolt upright and made choking noises. "I might have smelt the rat," he MAY WAS EVER ATTENTIVE TO HER THOUGHTFUL OLD FATHER said ironically. "All this pretense of yours was a mere sham.'' "Exactly," confessed Jack, "but we have journeyed a little ahead of your accusation. We are now in love with each other, and I want to ask your consent to our marriage." "You confound me, sir," glared the retired taxidermist. "I have never heard anything quite so impudent." He succeeded in lifting one bony finger and in leveling it at the lover. "No man can marry my daughter, sir," he fairly screamed, "unless he can match his gold against mine. All my seventy years I've scrimped and starved and screwed. I've cheated every one, even myself, of pleasure. I've throttled smiles, held back tears, frightened little children. I've never lived, I tell you, and now you de- mand my one cherished possession." "Just think," persisted Jack, "of the little flat, and the canary bird, and the grand welcome home—how much it means to me." "Girl," commanded Jethro, his voice trembling, "bundle up all this young man's rats and pitch them into the street. I'll pay for them," he added, with an effort. "And you, sir, take your dismissal—the quicker the better."