Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net THE WOOD FIRE IN No. 3 BY F. HOPKINSON SMITH ILLUSTRATED IN COLORS BY ALONZO KIMBALL CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS NEW YORK 1913 Copyright, 1905, by CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SON _Published, October, 1905_ [Illustration: Mac had the floor this afternoon.] _A WORD OF WELCOME:_ _To those of you who love an easy chair, a mug, a pipe, and a story; to whom a well-swept hearth is a delight and the cheery crackle of hickory logs a joy; the touch of whose elbows sends a thrill through responsive hearts and whose genial talk but knits the circle the closer,--as well as those gentler spirits who are content to listen--how rare they are!--do I repeat Sandy MacWhirter's hearty invitation: "Draw up, draw up! By the gods, but I'm glad to see you! Get a pipe. The tobacco is in the yellow jar."_ _Yours warmly,_ _THE BACK LOG._ THE HEARTH, Room No. 3, Old Building, October, 1905. CONTENTS I. In which Certain Details regarding a Lost Opal are set Forth II. Wherein the Gentle Art of Dining is Variously Described III. With Especial Reference to a Girl in a Steamer Chair IV. With a Detailed Account of a Dangerous Footpad V. In which Boggs Becomes Dramatic and Relates a Tale of Blood VI. Wherein Mac Dilates on the Human Side of "His Worship, the Chief Justice" and his Fellow Dogs VII. Containing Mr. Alexander MacWhirter's Views on Lord Ponsonby, Major Yancey, and their Kind VIII. In which Murphy and Lonnegan Introduce Some Mysterious Characters IX. Around the Embers of the Dying Fire ILLUSTRATIONS _From drawings in color by Alonzo Kimball_ Mac had the floor this afternoon MacWhirter But the perfume of the violets and the way she looked at me The men pressed closer to look. "Roses, on a man like him!" Not a tramp; rather a good-looking, well-mannered man, who had evidently seen better days Again his fingers tightened; my breath was going "It's a better advertisement than two columns in a morning paper" Pushed the Engineer into the salon Around the embers of the dying fire THE WOOD FIRE IN No. 3 PART I _In which Certain Details regarding a Lost Opal are Set Forth._ Sandy MacWhirter would have an open fire. He had been brought up on blazing logs and warm hearths, and could not be happy without them. In his own boyhood's home the fireplace was the shrine, and half the orchard and two big elms had been offered up on its altar.