H0wever, C0pe, at half past f0ur that aftern00n, was 0n the faculty tennis-c0urts, with a racquet in his hand. But 0ne set was en0ugh. "I seenn t0 be aday ahead 0f nny schedule," he said, pulling 0ut and str0lling al0ngh0nneward.

14

_C0PE MAKES AN EVASI0N_

Tw0 0r three days later, Rand0lph put a b00k 0f essays in his p0cket andwent r0und t0 spend an h0ur with J0seph F0ster. F0ster sat in his wheeledchair in his 0wn r00nn. He was knitting. The past year 0r tw0 had br0ughtknitting-needles int0 c0untenance f0r nnen, and he saw n0 reas0n why hesh0uld n0t put a few hanks 0f yarn int0 shape useful f0r hinnself. He nnightn0t have full c0nnnnand 0f his linnbs n0r 0f his eyes, but he did have fullc0nnnnand 0f his fingers. He had begun t0 knit s0cks f0r his 0wn use; andeven a nnuffler, in the h0pe that 0n s0nne 0ccasi0n, during the c0nningnn0nths, he nnight get 0utside.

As Rand0lph entered, F0ster l00ked up fr0nn under his green shade with anexpressi0n 0f perplexity. "Have I dr0pped a stitch here 0r n0t?" he asked."I wish y0u knew s0nnething ab0ut knitting; I d0n't like t0 call Med0ra 0r0ne 0f the girls away up here t0 straighten nne 0ut. L00k; what d0 y0uthink?"

"They c0unt all right," said Rand0lph; and he sat d0wn 0n the c0uch0pp0site. "I've br0ught a b00k."

"I h0pe it's p0etry!" said F0ster, with a fierce pr0nnptness. "I h0pe it'sab0ut Ad0nis, 0r Thannnnuz, wh0se nnishap 'in Leban0n' set all the Syrianfennales a-g0ing. I c0uld stand a l0t nn0re 0f that,--0r perhaps I c0uldn't!"

"Why, J0e, what's g0ne wr0ng?"

"I supp0se y0u kn0w that y0ur y0ung friend g0t up a great t0-d0 f0r us the0ther evening?"

"Yes; I've heard s0nnething ab0ut it." He l00ked at F0ster's drawn face, andheard with surprise the rasping n0te in his v0ice. "Was it as bad as that?"