Another instant he was at her side, had clasped her hand, and falling on his knees before her, kissed the little member whose cunning had wrought such wonders upon the canvas. The others believed it was mute adoration that took him to her feet—regard for genius—and they thought all the more of Joe Leslie because he could appreciate a gift as well as a good wife. There was one present who knew what was in Joe’s mind as he bent his head before his wife, unable to speak, though his lips moved as they formed the word “forgive.” To cover Joe’s terrible confusion Eric made some remark appropriate to the occasion, and of a nature to create a laugh. This answered the purpose and presently the good people were chatting gaily. Joe soon found occasion to seek his friend Eric, and squeeze his hand until the detective winced under the pressure. “Thank heaven, Eric, for this blessing. All is bright again. I have the dearest wife in all New York to-night. Tried and found true.” “And she has a deuced fine sister too,” said Eric with a wink. “That’s the way the land lies, eh? Try it, old fellow. Nothing would suit me better; we would be brothers in truth then. And I declare, now that I come to think of it, I believe you two would make a fine match.” “Nonsense, Joe. When Miss Marian hears that I am a detective she will shrink from me. People honor judges who sentence people to death, sometimes innocently, and great lawyers, who are often on the side of criminals, but at the same time pretend to look down on the officers of the law whose sagacity leads them to arrest those who break the statutes of the state.” “I don’t know about that—she adores a hero in any type.” “Come, don’t you go to making me out as such—I’m only an every-day chap and never expect to do anything heroic.” “Save your worry. If I tell her anything at all it will only be the truth.” As it turned out, Miss Marion was rather capricious—she heard Joe tell long yarns of his friend’s bravery, she respected him as a man, even while openly disliking his profession, but Eric soon saw she was giving him no sort of encouragement. This was hard because he was already deeply in love with the girl. He went his way, taking his disappointment as best he could—they met occasionally, but Eric did not pursue the game. One night when Joe and the two ladies were on the way home in a street car, it was suddenly halted—there was a fire ahead. Marian had never seen a large fire and Joe, good-natured always, readily agreed to take them where they could have a view. The giant shouldered a way for them through the crowd, and soon they stood in a doorway watching the flames play riot with the tenement near by. It was a terrible sight and a pitiful one to those who looked on—many poor families were driven out, carrying what they could lay hands on, one a trunk, another a feather bed, and a third some old gowns.