In the Quarter | Page 5

great -- a --
heat chez vous?"

Clifford glanced up from his easel. "Heat in New York? My dear
Deschamps, this is nothing."
The other eyed him suspiciously.
"You know New York is the capital of Galveston?" said Clifford,
slapping on a brush full of color and leaning back to look at it.
The Frenchman didn't know, but he nodded.
"Well, that's very far south. We suffer -- yes, we suffer, but our poor
poultry suffer more."
"Ze -- ze pooltree? Wat eez zat?"
Clifford explained.
"In summer the fire engines are detailed to throw water on the hens to
keep their feathers from singeing. Singeing spoils the flavor."
The Frenchman growled.
"One of our national institutions is the `Hen's Mutual Fire Insurance
Company,' supported by the Government," added Clifford.
Deschamps snorted.
"That is why," put in Rhodes, lazily dabbing at his canvas, "why we
seldom have omelets -- the eggs are so apt to be laid fried."
"How, zen, does eet make ze chicken?" spluttered the Frenchman, his
wrath rising.
"Our chickens are also -- " a torrent of bad language from Monsieur
Deschamps, and a howl of execration from all the rest, silenced
Clifford.
"It's too hot for that sort of thing," pleaded Elliott.

"Idiot!" muttered the Frenchman, shooting ominous glances at the
bland youth, who saw nothing.
"C'est l'heure," cried a dozen voices, and the tired model stretched his
cramped limbs. Clifford rose, dropped a piece of charcoal down on his
neighbor's neck, and stepping across Thaxton's easel, walked over to
Gethryn.
"Rex, have you heard the latest?"
"No."
"The Ministry has fallen again, and the Place de la Concorde is filled
with people yelling, A bas la Republique! Vive le General Boulanger!"
Gethryn looked serious. Clifford went on, speaking low.
"I saw a troop of cavalry going over this morning, and old Forain told
me just now that the regiments at Versailles were ready to move at a
minute's notice."
"I suppose things are lively across the river," said Gethryn.
"Exactly, and we're all going over to see the fun. You'll come?"
"Oh, I'll come. Hello! here's Rhodes; tell him."
Rhodes knew. Ministry fallen. Mob at it some more. Been fired on by
the soldiers once. Pont Neuf and the Arc guarded by cannon. Carleton
came hurrying up.
"The French students are loose and raising Cain. We're going to assist
at the show. Come along."
"No," growled Braith, and looked hard at Rex.
"Oh, come along! We're all going," said Carleton, "Elliott, Gethryn, the
Colossus, Thaxton, Clifford."

Braith turned sharply to Rex. "Yes, going to get your heads smashed by
a bullet or carved by a saber. What for? What business is it of yours?"
"Braith thinks he looks like a Prussian and is afraid," mused Clifford.
"Come on, won't you, Braith?" said Gethryn.
"Are you going?"
"Why not?" said the other, uneasily, "and why won't you?"
"No French mob for me," answered Braith, quietly. "You fellows had
better keep away. You don't know what you may get into. I saw the
siege, and the man who was in Paris in '71 has seen enough."
"Oh, this is nothing serious," urged Clifford. "If they fire I shall leg it;
so will the lordly Reginald; so will we all."
Braith dug his hands into the pockets of his velveteens, and shook his
head.
"No," he said, "I've got some work to do. So have you, Rex."
"Come on, we're off," shouted Thaxton from the stairway.
Clifford seized Gethryn's arm, Elliott and Rhodes crowded on behind.
A small earthquake shock followed as the crowd of students launched
itself down the stairs.
"Braith doesn't approve of my cutting the atelier so often," said Gethryn,
"and he's right. I ought to have stayed."
"Reggy going to back out?" cooed Clifford.
"No," said Rex. "Here's Rhodes with a cab."
"It's too hot to walk," gasped Rhodes. "I secured this. It was all I could
get. Pile in."

Rex sprang up beside the driver.
"Allons!" he cried, "to the Obelisk!"
"But, monsieur -- " expostulated the cabby, "it is today the revolution. I
dare not."
"Go on, I tell you," roared Rhodes. "Clifford, take his reins away if he
refuses."
Clifford made a snatch at them, but was repulsed by the indignant
cabby.
"Go on, do you hear?" shouted the Colossus. The cabman looked at
Gethryn.
"Go on!" laughed Rex, "there is no danger."
Jehu lifted his shoulders to the level of his shiny hat, and giving the
reins a jerk, muttered, "Crazy English! -- Heu -- heu -- Cocotte!"
In twenty minutes they had arrived at the bridge opposite the Palais
Bourbon.
"By Jove!" said Gethryn, "look at that crowd! The Place de la
Concorde is black with them!"
The cab stopped with a jolt. Half a dozen policemen stepped into the
street. Two seized