"Yes, I understand all that," Danny was tellin' him; "but you'd better come down to the office, just the same." "My dear man," says the minister, "I have been to the office, as I told you before, and I could get no satisfaction there. The person I wish to see is on the ninth floor. They say he is out. I doubt it, and, as I have come six hundred miles just to have a word with him, I insist on a chance to----" "Sure!" says Danny. "You'll get your chance, only it's against the rules to allow strangers above the ground floor. Now, you come along with me and you'll be all right." With that Danny gets a grip on the gent's arm and starts to walk him to the elevator. But he don't go far. The next thing Danny knows he's been sent spinnin' against the other wall. Course, he wa'n't lookin' for any such move; but it was done slick and prompt. "Sorry," says the minister, shovin' his cuffs back in place; "but I must ask you to keep your hands off." I see what Danny was up to then. He looks as cool as a soda fountain; but he's red behind his ears, and he's fishin' the chain nippers out of his side pocket. I knows that in about a minute the gent in the frock coat will have both hands out of business. Even at that, it looks like an even bet, with somebody gettin' hurt more or less. And blamed if I didn't hate to see that spunky minister get mussed up, just for objectin' to takin' the quiet run out. So I pushes to the front. "Well, well!" says I, shovin' out a hand to the parson, as though he was someone I'd been lookin' for. "So you showed up, eh?" "Why," says he,--"why--er----" "Yes, I know," says I, headin' him off. "You can tell me about that later. Bring your friend right in; this is my door. It's all right, Danny; mistakes will happen." And before any of 'em knows what's up, Danny is left outside with his mouth open, while I've towed the pair of strays into our sittin' room, and shooed Sadie out of the way. The minister looks kind of dazed; but he keeps his head well. "Really," says he, gazin' around, "I am sure there must be some misunderstanding." "You bet," says I, "and it was gettin' worse every minute. About two shakes more, and you'd been the center of a local disturbance that would have landed you before the police sergeant." "Do you mean," says he, "that I cannot communicate with a guest in this hotel without being liable to arrest?" "That's the size of it," says I. "Danny had the bracelets all out. The conundrum is, though, Why I should do the goat act, instead of lettin' you two mix it up? But that's what happened, and now I guess it's up to you to give an account." "H'm!" says he. "It isn't quite clear; but I infer that you have, in a way, made yourself responsible for me. May I ask whom I have to thank for----" "I'm Shorty McCabe," says I. "Oh!" says he. "It seems to me I've heard----"