Hoof Beats 



of a mile he had ever done, — past the station, — 

 where Rexford stood on the platform roaring with 

 laughter at I^ffington's apparent discomfiture. 

 But after the Nut-Cracker considered that the 

 joke had gone far enough, — it was in reality a 

 heavy toll gate that decided him, — he allowed Mr. 

 LeflBngton to drive him back to the station where 

 they picked up John Rexford and carried him off 

 to the club, while Mr. Leffington tried to explain 

 his sudden desertion of his friend, so often and so 

 vociferously, that Rexford immediately grew 

 suspicious and regarded him with a cold and 

 disconcerting eye. 



On the drive home alone from the club, Mr. 

 Leffington had an opportunity to carefully con- 

 sider the events of the day, and decided that the 

 plot had thickened already more than he had 

 bargained for, and that in the role of Cupid he was 

 getting considerably out of his depth. But as 

 moments of inspiration come to even the least of 

 us, so was Mr. Leffington illumined and in spite 

 of the lesson he had so lately experienced he 

 slapped his leg in his enthusiasm and exclaimed 

 aloud, which made the Nut-Cracker, mistaking 

 it for a command, jump violently, nearly putting 

 Mr. Leffington over the back of the cart, and go 

 trotting off down the road. 



In the meantime, while Mr. Leffington had 

 106 



