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Ann was sorry for Mr。 Pett。 For many years now； ever since the death of her mother； they had been inseparable。 Her father； who was a traveller； explorer； big…game hunter； and general sojourner in the lonelier and wilder spots of the world and paid only infrequent visits to New York； had left her almost entirely in Mr。 Pett's care； and all her pleasantest memories were associated with him。 Mr。 Chester's was in many ways an admirable character； but not a domestic one； and his relations with his daughter were confined for the most part to letters and presents。 In the past few years she had e almost to regard Mr。 Pett in the light of a father。 Hers was a nature swiftly responsive to kindness； and because Mr。 Pett besides being kind was also pathetic she pitied as well as loved him。 There was a lingering boyishness in the financier； the boyishness of the boy who muddles along in an unsympathetic world and can never do anything right： and this quality called aloud to the youth in her。 She was at the valiant age when we burn to right wrongs and succour the oppressed； and wild rebel schemes for the reformation of her small world came readily to her。 From the first she had been a smouldering spectator of the trials of her uncle's married life； and if Mr。 Pett had ever asked her advice and bound himself to act on it he would have solved his domestic troubles in explosive fashion。 For Ann in her moments of maiden meditation had frequently devised schemes to that end which would have made his grey hair stand erect with horror。
〃I've seen a good many boys；〃 she said； 〃but Ogden is in a class by himself。 He ought to be sent to a strict boarding…school； of course。〃
〃He ought to be sent to Sing…Sing；〃 amended Mr。 Pett。
〃Why don't you send him to school？〃
〃Your aunt wouldn't hear of it。 She's afraid of his being kidnapped。 It happened last time he went to school。 You can't blame her for wanting to keep her eye on him after that。〃
Ann ran her fingers meditatively over the keys。
〃I've sometimes thought 。 。 。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃Oh； nothing。 I must get on with this thing for aunt Nesta。〃
Mr。 Pett placed the bulk of the Sunday paper on the floor beside him； and began to run an appreciative eye over the ic supplement。 That lingering boyishness in him which endeared him to Ann always led him to open his Sabbath reading in this fashion。 Grey…headed though he was； he still retained both in art and in real life a taste for the slapstick。 No one had ever known the pure pleasure it had given him when Raymond Green； his wife's novelist protege； had tripped over a loose stair…rod one morning and fallen an entire flight。
From some point farther down the corridor came a muffled thudding。 Ann stopped her work to listen。
〃There's Jerry Mitchell punching the bag。〃
〃Eh？〃 said Mr。 Pett。
〃I only said I could hear Jerry Mitchell in the gymnasium。〃
〃Yes； he's there。〃
Ann looked out of the window thoughtfully for a moment。 Then she swung round in her swivel…chair。
〃Uncle Peter。〃
Mr。 Pett emerged slowly from the ic supplement。
〃Eh？〃
〃Did Jerry Mitchell ever tell you about that friend of his who keeps a dogs' hospital down on Long Island somewhere？ I forget his name。 Smithers or Smethurst or something。 Peopleold ladies； you know； and peoplebring him their dogs to be cured when they get sick。 He has an infallible remedy； Jerry tells me。 He makes a lot of money at it。〃
〃Money？〃 Pett； the student； became Pett； the financier； at the magic word。 〃There might be something in that if one got behind it。 Dogs are fashionable。 There would be a market for a really good medicine。〃
〃I'm afraid you couldn't put Mr。 Smethurst's remedy on the market。 It only works when the dog has been overeating himself and not taking any exercise。〃
〃Well； that's all these fancy dogs ever have the matter with them。 It looks to me as if I might do business with this man。 I'll get his address from Mitchell。〃
〃It's no use thinking of it； uncle Peter。 You couldn't do business with himin that way。 All Mr。 Smethurst does when any one brings him a fat； unhealthy dog is to feed it next to nothingjust the simplest kind of food； you knowand make it run about a lot。 And in about a week the dog's as well and happy and nice as he can possibly be。〃
〃Oh；〃 said Mr。 Pett； disappointed。
Ann touched the keys of her machine softly。
〃Why I mentioned Mr。 Smethurst；〃 she said； 〃it was because we had been talking of Ogden。 Don't you think his treatment would be just what Ogden needs？〃
Mr。 Pett's eyes gleamed。
〃It's a shame he can't have a week or two of it！〃
Ann played a little tune with her finger…tips on the desk。
〃It would do him good； wouldn't it？〃
Silence fell upon the room； broken only by the tapping of the typewriter。 Mr。 Pett； having finished the ic supplement； turned to the sporting section； for he was a baseball fan of no lukewarm order。 The claims of business did not permit him to see as many games as he could wish； but he followed the national pastime closely on the printed page and had an admiration for the Napoleonic gifts of Mr。 McGraw which would have gratified that gentleman had he known of it。
〃Uncle Peter；〃 said Ann； turning round again。
〃Eh？〃
〃It's funny you should have been talking about Ogden getting kidnapped。 This story of aunt Nesta's is all about an angel…childI suppose it's meant to be Ogdenbeing stolen and hidden and all that。 It's odd that she should write stories like this。 You wouldn't expect it of her。〃
〃Your aunt；〃 said Mr。 Pett； 〃lets her mind run on that sort of thing a good deal。 She tells me there was a time； not so long ago； when half the kidnappers in America were after him。 She sent him to school in Englandor； rather； her husband did。 They were separated thenand； as far as I can follow the story； they all took the next boat and besieged the place。〃
〃It's a pity somebody doesn't smuggle him away now and keep him till he's a better boy。〃
〃Ah！〃 said Mr。 Pett wistfully。
Ann looked at him fixedly； but his eyes were once more on his paper。 She gave a little sigh； and turned to her work again。
〃It's quite demoralising； typing aunt Nesta's stories；〃 she said。 〃They put ideas into one's head。〃
Mr。 Pett said nothing。 He was reading an article of medical interest in the magazine section； for he was a man who ploughed steadily through his Sunday paper； omitting nothing。 The typewriter began tapping again。
〃Great Godfrey！〃
Ann swung round； and gazed at her uncle in concern。 He was staring blankly at the paper。
〃What's the matter？〃
The page on which Mr。 Pett's attention was concentrated was decorated with a fanciful picture in bold lines of a young man in evening dress pursuing a young woman similarly clad along what appeared to be a restaurant supper…table。 An enjoyable time was apparently being had by both。 Across the page this legend ran：
PICCADILLY JIM ONCE MORE
The Recent Adventures of Young Mr。 Crocker
of New York and London
It was not upon the title； however； nor upon the illustration that Mr。 Pett's fascinated eye rested。 What he was looking at was a small reproduction of a photograph which had been inserted in the body of the article。 It was the photograph of a woman in the early forties； rather formidably handsome； beneath which were printed the words：
Mrs。 Nesta Ford Pett
Well…Known Society Leader and Authoress
Ann had risen and was peering over his shoulder。 She frowned as she caught sight of the heading of the page。 Then her eye fell upon the photograph。
〃Good gracious！ Why have they got aunt Nesta's picture there？〃
Mr。 Pett breathed a deep and gloomy breath。
〃They've found out she's his aunt。 I was afraid they would。 I don't know what she will say when she sees this。〃
〃Don't let her see it。〃
〃She has the paper downstairs。 She's probably reading it now。〃
Ann was glancing through the article。
〃It seems to be much the same sort of thing that they have published before。 I can't understand why the Chronicle takes such an interest in Jimmy Crocker。〃
〃Well； you see he used to be a newspaper man； and the Chronicle was the paper he worked for。〃
Ann flushed。
〃I know；〃 she said shortly。
Something in her tone arrested Mr。 Pett's attention。
〃Yes； yes； of course；〃 he said hastily。 〃I was forgetting。〃
There was an awkward silence。 Mr。 Pett coughed。 The matter of young Mr。 Crocker's erstwhile connection with the New York Chronicle was one which they had tacitly decided to refrain from mentioning。
〃I didn't know he was your nephew； uncle Peter。〃
〃Nephew by marriage；〃 corrected Mr。 Pett a little hurriedly。 〃Nesta's sister Eugenia married his father。〃
〃I suppose that makes me a sort of cousin。〃
〃A distant cousin。〃
〃It can't be too distant for me。〃
There was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the door。 Mrs。 Pett entered； holding a paper in her hand。 She waved it before Mr。 Pett's sympathetic face。
〃I know； my dear；〃 he said backing。 〃Ann and I were just talking about it。〃
The little photograph had not done Mrs。 Pett justice。 Seen life…size； she was both handsomer and more formidable than she appeared in reproduction。 She was a large woman； with a fine figure and bold and pelling eyes； and her personality crashed disturbingly into the quiet atmosphere of the room。 She was the type of woman whom small； diffident men seem to marry instinctively； as unable to help themselves as cockleshell boats sucked into a maelstrom。
〃What are you going to do about it？〃 she demanded； sinking heavily into the chair which her husband had vacated。
This was an aspect of the matter which had not occurred to Mr。 Pett。 He had not contemplated the possibility of actually doing anything。 Nature had made him out of office hours essentially a passive organism； and it was his tendency； when he found himself in a sea of troubles； to float plaintively； not to take arms against it。 To pick up the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and fling them back was not a habit of his。 He scratched his chin and said nothing。 He went on saying nothing。
〃If Eugenia had had any sense； she would have foreseen what would happen if she took the boy away from New York where he was working too hard to get into mischief and let him run loose in London with too much money and nothing to do。 But； if she had had any sense； she would never have married that impossible Crocker man。 As I told her。〃
Mrs。 Pett paused； and her eyes glowed with reminiscent fire。 She was recalling the scene which had taken place three years ago between her sister and herself； when Eugenia had told her of her intention to marry an obscure and middle…aged actor named Bingley Crocker。 Mrs。 Pett had never seen Bingley Crocker； but she had condemned the proposed match in terms which had ended definitely and forever her relations with her sister。 Eugenia was not a woman who weled criticism of her actions。 She was cast in the same formidable mould as Mrs。 Pett and resembled her strikingly both in appearance and character。
Mrs。 Pett returned to the present。 The past could look after itself。 The present demanded surgery。
〃One would have thought it would have been obvious even to Eugenia that a boy of twenty…one needed regular work。〃
Mr。 Pett was glad to e out of his shell here。 He was the Apostle of Work； and this sentiment pleased him。
〃That's right；〃 he said。 〃Every boy ought to have work。〃
〃Look at this young Crocker's record since he went to live in London。 He is always doing something to make himself notorious。 There was that breach…of…promise case； and that fight at the political meeting； and his escapades at Monte Carlo； andand everything。 And he must be drinking himself to death。 I think Eugenia's insane。 She seems to have no influence over him at all。〃
Mr。 Pett moaned sympathetically。
〃And now the papers have found out that I am his aunt； and I suppose they will print my photograph whenever they publish an article about him。〃
She ceased and sat rigid with just wrath。 Mr。 Pett； who always felt his responsibilities as chorus keenly during these wifely monologues； surmised that a remark from him was indicated。
〃It's tough；〃 he said。
Mrs。 Pett turned on him like a wounded tigress。
〃What is the use of saying that？ It's no use saying anything。〃
〃No； no；〃 sa