"One alibi is enough," I breaks in. "Now, another thing: How"d you like to have me stage-manage this debut of yours?"

"Oh, would you?" says he, beamin".

"Providin" you"ll follow directions," says I.

"Why, certainly," says Rupert. "Any suggestions that you may make----"

"Then we"ll begin right now," says I. "You are to ditch that flossy floor-walker outfit of yours from this on."

"You mean," says Rupert, "that I am not to wear these clothes?"

"Just that," says I. "When you get to givin" mornin" readin"s at the Plaza for the benefit of the Red Cross, you can dig "em out again; but for the Purple Pup you got to be costumed different. Who ever heard of a goulash poet in a braid-bound cutaway and spats? Say, it"s a wonder they let you live south of the Arch."

"But--but what ought I to wear?" asks Rupert.

"Foolish question!" says I. "Who are you, anyway? Answer: the Sailor Poet. There you are! Sea captain"s togs for you--double-breasted blue coat, baggy-kneed blue trousers, and a yachtin" cap."

"Very well," says Rupert. "But about my being asked to read. Just how----"

"Leave it to me, Rupert," says I. "Leave everything to me."

Which was a lot simpler than tellin" him I didn"t know.

You should have seen Vee"s face when I tells her about Rupert"s new line.

"Captain Killam a poet!" says she. "Oh, really now, Torchy!"

"Uh-huh!" says I. "He"s done enough for a book. Read me some of it, too."

"But--but what is it like?" asks Vee. "How does it sound?"

"Why," says I, "it sounds batty to me--like a record made by a sailor who was simple in the head and talked a lot in his sleep. Course, I"m no judge. What"s the difference, though? Rupert wants to spout it in public."

"But the people in the restaurant," protests Vee. "Suppose they should laugh, or do something worse?"

"That"s where Rupert is takin" a chance," says I. "Personally, I think he"ll be lucky if they don"t throw plates at him. But we ain"t underwritin" any accident policy; we"re just bookin" him for a part he claims he can play. Are you on?"

Vee gets that eye twinkle of hers workin". "I think it will be perfectly lovely."

I got to admit, too, that she"s quite a help.

"We must be sure Mrs. Mumford and that Bartley person are both there,"

says she. "And we ought to have as many of Captain Killam"s friends as possible. I"ll tell you. Let"s give a dinner-party."

"Must we?" says I. "You know we ain"t introducin" any London success.

This is Rupert"s first stab, remember."

We set the date for the day the book was to be out, which gives Rupert an excuse for celebratin". He"d invited Mrs. Mumford and Vinton to be his guests, and they"d promised to be on hand. As for us, we"d rounded up Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ellins and J. Dudley Simms.

Well, everybody showed up. And as it happens, it"s one of the big nights at the Purple Pup. The long center table is surrounded by a gay bunch of a.s.sorted artists who are bein" financed by an out-of-town buyer who seems to be openin" Chianti reckless. We were over in one corner, as far away from the ukulele torturers as we could get, while at the other end of the room is Rupert with his two. I thought he looked kind of pallid, but it might have been only on account of the cigarette smoke.

"Is it time yet, Torchy?" asks Mr. Robert, when we gets through to the striped ice cream and chicory essence.

"Let"s hold off," says I, "and see if someone else don"t pull a curtain-raiser."

Sure enough, they did. A bald-headed, red-faced old boy with a Liberty Bond b.u.t.ton in his coat-lapel insists on everybody"s drinkin" to our boys at the front. Followin" that, someone leads a slim, big-eyed young female to the piano and announces that she will do a couple of Serbian folk-songs. Maybe she did. I hope the Serbs forgive her.

"If they can take that without squirmin"," says I, "I guess they can stand for Rupert. Go on, Mr. Robert. Shoot."

Course, he"s no spellbinder, but he can say what he wants to in a few words and make himself heard. And then, bein" in naval uniform helped.

"I think we have with us to-night," says he, "Captain Rupert Killam, the sailor poet. I should like, if it pleases the company, to ask Captain Killam to read for us some of his popular verses. Does anyone second the motion?"

"Killam! Killam!" roars out the sporty wine-opener.

Others took up the chorus, and in the midst of it I dashes over to drag Rupert from his chair if necessary.

But I wasn"t needed. As a matter of fact, he beat me to it. Before I could get half way to him, he is standin" at the end of the long table, his eyes dropped modest, and a brand-new volume of "Sea Songs" held conspicuous over his chest.

"This is indeed an unexpected honor," says Rupert, lyin" fluent. "I am a plain sailor-man, as you know, but if you insist----"

And, before they could hedge, he has squared his shoulders, thrown his head well back, and has cut loose with that boomin" voice of his. Does he put it over? Say, honest, I finds myself listenin" with my mouth open, just as though I understood every word. And the first thing I know he"s carryin" the house with him. Even some of the Hungarian waiters stopped to see what it"s all about.

Tides!

Little, rushing, hurrying tides Along the sloping deck.

And the bobstay smashing the big blue deep, While under my hand The kicking tiller groans Its oaken soul out in a gray despair.

That"s part of it I copied down afterward. Yet that crowd just lapped it up.

"Wow!" "Brava! Brava!" "What"s the matter with Killam?" they yells.

"More!"

Rupert was flushin" clear up the back of his neck now. Also he was fumblin" with the book, hesitatin" what to give "em next, when I pushes in and begins pumpin" his hand.

"Shall--shall I----" he starts to ask.

"No, you b.o.o.b," I whispers. "Quit while the quittin"s good. You got "em buffaloed, all right. Let it ride."

And I fairly shoves him over to his table, where Sister Mumford has already split out a new pair of gloves and is beamin" joyous, while Vinton is sittin" there with his chin on his necktie, lookin" like someone had beaned him with a bung-starter.

But we wasn"t wise just how strong Rupert had scored until we saw the half page Whitey Weeks had gotten out of it for the Sunday paper. "New Poet Captures Greenwich Village" is the top headline, and there"s a three-column cut showin" Rupert spoutin" his "Sea Songs" through the cigarette smoke. Also, I gather from a casual remark Rupert let drop yesterday that the prospects of him and Mrs. Mumford enterin" the mixed doubles cla.s.s soon are good. And, with her ownin" a big retail coal business over in Jersey, I expect Rupert can go on writin" his pomes as free as he likes.

CHAPTER XIV

FORSYTHE AT THE FINISH