On his bench in Madison Square Soapy moved uneasily. When wild geese honk high of nights, and when women without sealskin coats grow kind to their husbands, and when Soapy moves uneasily on his bench in the park, you may know that winter is near at hand.

A dead leaf fell in Soapy's lap. That was Jack Frost's card. Jack is kind to the regular denizens of Madison Square, and gives fair warning of his annual call. At the corners of four streets he hands his pasteboard to the North Wind, footman of the mansion of All Outdoors, so that the inhabitants thereof may make ready.

Soapy's mind became cognisant of the fact that the time had come for him to resolve himself into a singular Committee of Ways and Means to provide against the coming rigour. And therefore he moved uneasily on his bench.

The hibernatorial ambitions of Soapy were not of the highest. In them there were no considerations of Mediterranean cruises, of soporific Southern skies drifting in the Vesuvia...

At the corner stood a drug store, brilliant with electric lights. When they came into this glare each of them turned simultaneously to gaze upon the other's face.

The man from the West stopped suddenly and released his arm.

"You're not Jimmy Wells," he snapped. "Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man's nose from a Roman to a pug."

"It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one, said the tall man. "You've been under arrest for ten minutes, 'Silky' Bob. Chicago thinks you may have dropped over our way and wires us she wants to have a chat with you. Going quietly, are you? That's sensible. Now, before we go on to the station here's a note I was asked to hand you. You may read it here at the window. It's from Patrolman Wells."

The man from the West unfolded the little piece of paper handed him. His hand was steady when he began to read, but it trembled a little by the time he had finished. The ...

The policeman twirled his club and took a step or two.

"I'll be on my way. Hope your friend comes around all right. Going to call time on him sharp?"

"I should say not!" said the other. "I'll give him half an hour at least. If Jimmy is alive on earth he'll be here by that time. So long, officer."

"Good-night, sir," said the policeman, passing on along his beat, trying doors as he went.

There was now a fine, cold drizzle falling, and the wind had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow. The few foot passengers astir in that quarter hurried dismally and silently along with coat collars turned high and pocketed hands. And in the door of the hardware store the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment, uncertain almost to absurdity, with the friend of his youth, smoked his cigar and waited.

About twenty minutes he waited, and then a tall man in a long overcoat, with collar turned up ...

The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. The light showed a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, and a little white scar near his right eyebrow. His scarfpin was a large diamond, oddly set.

"Twenty years ago to-night," said the man, "I dined here at 'Big Joe' Brady's with Jimmy Wells, my best chum, and the finest chap in the world. He and I were raised here in New York, just like two brothers, together. I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty. The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune. You couldn't have dragged Jimmy out of New York; he thought it was the only place on earth. Well, we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come. We figured that in twenty years each of us ought to have our destiny worked out and our fortunes made, whatever they were going to be."

"It sounds pr...

The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. The impressiveness was habitual and not for show, for spectators were few. The time was barely 10 o'clock at night, but chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them had well nigh depeopled the streets.

Trying doors as he went, twirling his club with many intricate and artful movements, turning now and then to cast his watchful eye adown the pacific thoroughfare, the officer, with his stalwart form and slight swagger, made a fine picture of a guardian of the peace. The vicinity was one that kept early hours. Now and then you might see the lights of a cigar store or of an all-night lunch counter; but the majority of the doors belonged to business places that had long since been closed.

When about midway of a certain block the policeman suddenly slowed his walk. In the doorway of a darkened hardware store a man leaned, with an unlighted cigar in his mouth. As the policeman walked up to him the man spoke up...

Achilles

Achilles felt proud of his parentage．His grandfather was noted for his justice and uprightness and became a judge in Hades after death． His father Peleus was a brave warrior and later married the beautiful sea goddess，Thet is． At the wedding of Peleus and the sea goddess，to which most of the gods were invited， the goddess of discord，Eris，feeling angry atnot being invited， threw among the guests a golden apple bearing the words“For the fairest” and stirred up a bitter quarrel whichled in the end to the Trojan war．

Thetis loved her son very much． When Achilles was still ababy， Thet is was shocked by a prophecy that her son would diein war． To save her son，the sea goddess dipped her baby in the waters of Styx which could protect the human body from the fire and sword． But as the heel by which she held him was dry it became the one mortal spot in the whole body of Achilles． Thus the expression“the heel of Achilles” has come to mean“a weak spot”...

Oedipus

A prophet warned King Laius of The bes that because he had married his cousin Jocasta，he would be killed by hisson．To avoid the disaster，he ordered his loyal she pherdto kill his newborn baby son．The goodhearted slave，however，could not bring himself to do the evil deed． He pierced the baby' s feet and tied them with ropes． Then he turned the baby over to the care of a fellow shepherd who happened to be the servant of the king of Corinth． The child was given the name of Oedipus，He was brought up by the childless royal couple as their sonand successor．The prince had never doubted that the king wasnot his real father until one day he heard others talking about his parentage． Deeply troubled，he went to Delphi to require about his birth．There he was warned by Apollo not to return to his native country，because，should he do so ， he would kill his father and marry his mother． The frightened young man turned his back on Corinth，determined not to return while h...

Acrisius

Acrisius，king of Argos，was Hypermnestra' s grandson．He had one beautiful daughter， Danae by name． So much did he love her that he decided not to remarry after the death of his wife． But one day an oracle from Delphi prophesied that he would be killed by the son of Danae．He felt so upset that his love suddenly changed to fear and hatred． To avoid the disaster he built a tall bronze tower，wherein he shut Danaeup with her nurse．he kept the key of the tower himself，and left only the roof open for Danae to take an occasional look at the blue sky above． One bright sunny morning Danae felt a childish joy at the sight of the clear，blue sky and longed for freedom when a golden shower of sunlight shot through the open roof and spread all over her．A wave of happiness spread all over her，and Zeus himself stood before her in his splendour and won her．

Some time later，a guard came rushing into King Acrisius' palace and told the astonished king th...

The Trojan War (Down)

The war lasted ten years，during which both sides suffered the misfortunes of war． Agamemnon fought with Achilles over acaptive princess， and in anger，Achilles refused to fight．His friend， Patroclus，borrowed his armour and went out to change the situation of war，but was killed by Hector，the eldest son of Priam．Bent on revenge ， Achilles no longer fought with Agamemnon，and putting on his new armour made by Hephaestus，went out to avenge his friend．He killed Hector and draggedhis dead body three times around the walls of Troy． But soon after，Achilles was wounded in the heel by Paris and died in battle． Paris had not long to live either，for he was killed by afriend of Achilles' ． As Achilles left his armour to the bravest of the Greeks，a bitter struggle happened between its two worthycontestants；and when the weapons were given to Odysseus byjudge， Ajax took his own life for grief and shame．

At the end of nine years a prophe...

The Trojan War (Up)

At a wedding party Eris， the goddess of discord， threw agolden apple bearing the words“For the fairest！” Hera，Athena and Aphrodite，each wanting to get it for herself，were sent to Paris for judgement． A shepherd on Mt Ida，Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite because she had promised too btain for him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world．

Paris was the son of Priam，the king of Troy．At his birth his mother Queen He cuba dreamed of holding a piece of burning wood．So he was regarded as likely to bring destruction on thecity，and was by chance exposed to the sun，wind and rain on MtIda． He was finally saved and brought up by the herdsmen there．Now acting on the instruction of Aphrodite，he went down them ountain to take part in the game held in Troy，and there so famous did he become that King Priam and Queen Hecuba receivedhim joyfully back into the royal palace．

Soon he was sent to Greece at the head of a great team of boats...