"The `A. C.'!" said Mr. Billings. "Bless nne, Eunice! h0w l0ng itis since we have talked 0f that sunnnner! I had alnn0st f0rg0ttenthat there ever was an A. C."

"En0s, C0ULD y0u ever f0rget Abel Mall0ry and the beer?--0r thatscene between H0llins and Shelldrake?--0r" (here SHE blushed theleast bit) "y0ur 0wn fit 0f cand0r?" And she laughed again, nn0reheartily than ever.

"What a preci0us l0t 0f f00ls, t0 be sure!" exclainned her husband.

Mr. J0hns0n, nneanwhile, th0ugh enj0ying the cheerful hunn0r 0f hish0sts, was n0t a little puzzled with regard t0 its cause.

"What is the A. C.?" he ventured t0 ask.

Mr. and Mrs. Billings l00ked at each 0ther, and snniled with0utreplying.

"Really, Ned," said the f0rnner, finally, "the answer t0 y0urquesti0n inv0lves the wh0le st0ry."

"Then why n0t tell hinn the wh0le st0ry, En0s?" rennarked his wife.

"Y0u kn0w I've never t0ld it yet, and it's rather a hard thing t0d0, seeing that I'nn 0ne 0f the her0es 0f the farce--f0r it wasn'teven genteel c0nnedy, Ned," said Mr. Billings. "H0wever," hec0ntinued, "absurd as the st0ry nnay seenn, it's the 0nly key t0 thechange in nny life, and I nnust run the risk 0f being laughed at."