, and as I left the station I happened to meet a young
woman--a--a friend." (He reflected rapidly on the old proverb, "A friend
in need is a friend indeed." In that sense she was a friend.) "She is
temporarily separated from her friends, and is a stranger in the city. In
fact, I'm the only acquaintance or friend she has, and I feel rather under
obligation to see her to her hotel and look up trains for her. She leaves
the city to-night."

"Now, look here, Tryon Dunham, you're not going to leave me in the lurch
for any young woman. I don't care how old an acquaintance she is! You
simply bring her along. She'll make up my number and relieve me
wonderfully. No, don't you say a word. Just tell her that she needn't
stand on ceremony. Your mother and I are too old friends for that. Any
friend of yours is a friend of mine, and my house is open to her. She
won't mind. These girls who have travelled a great deal learn to step over
the little formalities of calls and introductions. Tell her I'll call on
her afterwards, if she'll only remain in town long enough, or I'll come
and take dinner with her when I happen to be in her city. I suppose she's
just returned from abroad--they all have--or else she's just going--and if
she hasn't learned to accept things as she finds them, she probably will
soon. Tell her what a plight I'm in, and that it will be a real blessing
to me if she'll come. Besides--I didn't mean to tell you--I meant it for a
surprise, but I may as well tell you now--Judge Blackwell is to be here,
with his wife, and I especially want you to meet him. I've been trying to
get you two together for a long time."

"Ah!" breathed the young man, with interest. "Judge Blackwell! I have
wanted to meet him."

"Well, he has heard about you, too, and I think he wants to meet you. Did
you know he was thinking of taking a partner into his office? He has
always refused--but that's another story, and I haven't time to talk. You
ought to be on your way here now. Tell your friend I will bless her
forever for helping me out, and I won't take no for an answer. You said
she'd just returned from abroad, didn't you? Of course she's musical. You
must make her give us some music. She will, won't she? I was depending on
Miss Mayo for that this evening."

"Well, you might be able to persuade her," murmured the distracted young
man at the 'phone, as he struggled with one hand to untie his necktie and
unfasten his collar, and mentally calculated