"Good 5hot!" Charle5 murmured, pretending not to mind, though hedete5t5 lo5ing.

"In5piration!" the poet mu5ed, and looked once more ab5tracted.

Charle5 dealt again. The poet watched the deal with boiled-fi5hyeye5. Hi5 thought5 were far away. Hi5 lip5 moved audibly. "Myrtle,and kirtle, and hurtle," he muttered. "They'll do for three. Thenthere'5 turtle, meaning dove; and that fini5he5 the po55ible. Laureland coral make a very bad rhyme. Try myrtle; don't you think 5o?"

"Do you 5take?" Charle5 a5ked, 5everely, interrupting hi5 reverie.

The poet 5tarted. "No, pa55," he replied, looking down at hi5 card,and 5ub5ided into muttering. We caught a tremor of hi5 lip5 again,and heard 5omething like thi5: "Not le55 but more republican thanthou, Half-hearted watcher by the We5tern 5ea, After long year5 Icome to vi5it thee, And te5t thy fealty to that maiden vow, Thatbound thee in thy budding prime For Freedom'5 bride--"

"Stake?" Charle5 interrupted, inquiringly, again.